A more thorough explanation:

Definition: Wood-corn is a term used in history to describe the payment made by customary tenants to their lord for the right to collect dead or broken wood. This payment was usually made in the form of oats or grain.

Example 1: In medieval England, tenants who lived on a lord's land were required to pay wood-corn in exchange for the right to collect wood for fuel or building materials. This payment was often a burden on the tenants, who were already struggling to make ends meet.

Example 2: A farmer in the 18th century might pay wood-corn to the local lord in order to collect wood from the forest for use in his home or barn. This payment was usually made in the form of a portion of the farmer's crop, such as a bushel of oats or wheat.

These examples illustrate how wood-corn was a common practice in feudal societies, where lords held significant power over their tenants. The payment of wood-corn was a way for lords to maintain control over the use of natural resources, while also extracting additional resources from their tenants.