Obs. [ad. L. fænerātiōn-em, n. of action f. fænerāre: see FENERATE v.] The action or practice of lending on interest; usury.
1598. Barckley, Felic. Man, V. (1603), 549. True love and friendship hath respect only to his friends necessitie, without merchandize or feneration.
1612–5. Bp. Hall, Contempl., N. T., IV. iii. Giving to the poor is feneration to God: the greater bank, the more interest.
1650. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep. (ed. 2), 120. What vices therein it [the hare] figured; that is, not only pusillanimity and timidity from its temper, feneration or usury from its fœcundity and superfetation, but from this mixture of sexes, unnatural venery and degenerous effemination.
1721. in Bailey.
1798. H. T. Colebrooke, trans. Digest of Hindu Law (1801), I. 7. Feneration at the rate of an eightieth part by the month.
b. Interest on money lent. In some mod. Dicts.
