- Abuse of distress
- Distress Dis*tress", n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF.
destresse, destrece, F. d['e]tresse, OF. destrecier to
distress, (assumed) LL. districtiare, fr. L. districtus, p.
p. of distringere. See {Distrain}, and cf. {Stress}.]
1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to
suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of
friends.
[1913 Webster]
Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. --Shak. [1913 Webster]
2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery. [1913 Webster]
Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. --Burns. [1913 Webster]
3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc. [1913 Webster]
4. (Law) (a) The act of distraining; the taking of a personal chattel out of the possession of a wrongdoer, by way of pledge for redress of an injury, or for the performance of a duty, as for nonpayment of rent or taxes, or for injury done by cattle, etc. (b) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. --Bouvier. --Kent. --Burrill. [1913 Webster]
If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. --Spenser. [1913 Webster]
The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. --Blackstone. [1913 Webster]
{Abuse of distress}. (Law) See under {Abuse}.
Syn: Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish; grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See {Affliction}. [1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English. 2000.