Rent, n. [F. rente, LL. renta, fr. L. reddita, fem. sing. or neut. pl. of redditus, p. p. of reddere to give back, pay. See Render.] 1. Income; revenue. See Catel. “Catel had they enough and rent.” Chaucer.
a waster was and all his rent
In wine and bordel he dispent. Gower.
So bought an annual rent or two,
And liv'd, just as you see I do. Pope.
2. Pay; reward; share; toll.
Death, that taketh of high and low his rent. Chaucer.
3. (Law) A certain periodical profit, whether in money, provisions, chattels, or labor, issuing out of lands and tenements in payment for the use; commonly, a certain pecuniary sum agreed upon between a tenant and his landlord, paid at fixed intervals by the lessee to the lessor, for the use of land or its appendages; as, rent for a farm, a house, a park, etc.
☞ The term rent is also popularly applied to compensation for the use of certain personal chattels, as a piano, a sewing machine, etc.
Black rent. See Blackmail, 3. — Forehand rent, rent which is paid in advance; foregift. — Rent arrear, rent in arrears; unpaid rent. Blackstone. — Rent charge(Law), a rent reserved on a conveyance of land in fee simple, or granted out of lands by deed; — so called because, by a covenant or clause in the deed of conveyance, the land is charged with a distress for the payment of it. Bouvier. — Rent roll, a list or account of rents or income; a rental. — Rent seck(Law), a rent reserved by deed, but without any clause of distress; barren rent. A power of distress was made incident to rent seck by Statute 4 George II. c. 28. — Rent service(Eng. Law), rent reserved out of land held by fealty or other corporeal service; — so called from such service being incident to it. — White rent, a quitrent when paid in silver; — opposed to black rent.