Origin: 1605–15; < French, variant of Old French fieu, fie, cognate with Anglo-French fefee < Germanic; compare Old High German fihu,Old English feoh cattle, property; akin to Latin pecū flock of sheep, pecus cattle, pecūnia wealth
Under feudalism, a landed estate given by a lord to a vassal in return for the vassal's service to the lord. The vassal could use the fief as long as he remained loyal to the lord.