Thesaurus: distrain

Related headwords

Definitions

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. 1. To press heavily upon; to bear down upon with violence; hence, to constrain or compel; to bind; to distress, torment, or afflict. [Obs.] "Distrained with chains." Chaucer. 2. To rend; to tear. [Obs.] Neither guile nor force might it [a net] distrain. Spenser. 3. (Law) (a) 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. (b) To subject to distress; to coerce; as, to distrain a person by his goods and chattels. To levy a distress. Upon whom I can distrain for debt. Camden.
10. To levy a distress.Upon whom I can distrain for debt. Camden.
11. v. levy a distress on v. confiscate by distress v. legally take something in place of a debt payment