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Webster 1913 Edition


Distrain

Dis-train′

,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Distrained
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Distraining
.]
[OE.
destreinen
to force, OF.
destreindre
to press, oppress, force, fr. L.
distringere
,
districtum
, to draw asunder, hinder, molest, LL., to punish severely;
di-
=
stringere
to draw tight, press together. See
Strain
, and cf.
Distress
,
District
,
Distraint
.]
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
.

Dis-train′

,
Verb.
I.
To levy a distress.
Upon whom I can
distrain
for debt.
Camden.

Webster 1828 Edition


Distrain

DISTRAIN

,
Verb.
T.
[L. Dis and stringo. See Strain. Blackstone writes distrein.]
1.
To seize for debt; to take a personal chatel from the possession of a wrong-doer into the possession of the injured party, to satisfy a demand, or compel the performance of a duty; as, to distrain goods fro rent, or for an amercement.
2.
To rend; to tear.

Definition 2024


distrain

distrain

English

Verb

distrain (third-person singular simple present distrains, present participle distraining, simple past and past participle distrained)

  1. (obsolete) To squeeze, press, embrace; to constrain, oppress.
  2. (law, transitive, obsolete) To force (someone) to do something by seizing their property.
  3. (law, intransitive) To seize somebody's property in place of, or to force, payment of a debt.
    to distrain a person by his goods and chattels
  4. (obsolete) To pull off, tear apart.

Synonyms

Derived terms

Translations

External links

  • distrain in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913
  • distrain in The Century Dictionary, The Century Co., New York, 1911
  • distrain at OneLook Dictionary Search