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Thesaurus: distrain

To press heavily upon; to bear down upon with violence; hence, to constrain or compel; to bind; to distress, torment, or afflict.

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  1. v. t. To press heavily upon; to bear down upon with violence; hence, to constrain or compel; to bind; to distress, torment, or afflict.
  2. v. t. To rend; to tear.
  3. v. t. To seize, as a pledge or indemnification; to take possession of as security for nonpayment of rent, the reparation of an injury done, etc.; to take by distress; as, to distrain goods for rent, or of an amercement.
  4. v. t. To subject to distress; to coerce; as, to distrain a person by his goods and chattels.
  5. v. i. To levy a distress.
  6. v. levy a distress on
  7. v. confiscate by distress
  8. v. legally take something in place of a debt payment
  9. To levy a distress.Upon whom I can distrain for debt. Camden.
  10. v. levy a distress on v. confiscate by distress v. legally take something in place of a debt payment