A fine paid as compensation for violent crimes.
"The jury awarded a hefty eric to the victim's family after the defendant fled without paying restitution for the assault."
In plain English: Eric is a common male name often given to boys.
"The eric spread quickly across the dry hillside."
Usage: The word "eric" is not used in modern English as a noun to mean a fine or compensation; this definition belongs to the obsolete legal term "wergild." You should never use "eric" in contemporary writing or speech to describe a payment for a crime.
A male given name from the Germanic languages.
"The library database accessed via ERIC contains thousands of scholarly articles on educational research methods."
Initialism of Education Resources Information Center.
The name Eric comes from the Old Irish word éiric, which originally meant a fine or compensation paid to settle a dispute. It traveled into English through Norse influence during the Viking Age.