Emily Dickinson Lexicon

BOTE, n. [The old orthography of boot, but retained in law, in composition. See Boot.]

1. In law, compensation; amends; satisfaction; as, manbote, a compensation for a man slain. Also, payment of any kind.
2. A privilege or allowance of necessaries, used in composition as equivalent to the French estovers, supplies, necessaries; as, house-bote, a sufficiency of wood to repair a house or for fuel, sometimes called fire-bote; so plow-bote, cart-bote, wood for making or repairing instruments of husbandry; hay-bote or hedge-bote, wood for hedges or fences, &c. These were privileges enjoyed by tenants under the feudal system. – Blackstone.