DISTRAINT

Pronunciation (US): (GB):

Meaning:

The seizure and holding of property as security for payment of a debt or satisfaction of a claim

Example:

Originally distress was a landlord's remedy against a tenant for unpaid rents or property damage but now the landlord is given a landlord's lien

Synonyms:

distraint; distress

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("distraint" is a kind of...):

seizure (the taking possession of something by legal process)