3. A state of danger or necessity; as, a ship in distress, from leaking, loss of spars, want of provisions or water, etc.
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. If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle. Spenser. The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for. Blackstone. Abuse of distress. (Law) See under Abuse.
Syn.
— Affliction; suffering; pain; agony; misery; torment; anguish;
grief; sorrow; calamity; misfortune; trouble; adversity. See
Affliction.
DISTRESS
Dis*tress", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Distressed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Distressing.] Etym: [Cf. OF. destrecier. See Distress, n.]
1. To cause pain or anguish to; to pain; to oppress with calamity; to afflict; to harass; to make miserable. We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed. 2 Cor. iv. 8.
2. To compel by pain or suffering. Men who can neither be distressed nor won into a sacrifice of duty. A. Hamilton.
3. (Law)
Defn: To seize for debt; to distrain.
Syn.
— To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict; worry; annoy.
DISTRESSEDNESS
Dis*tress"ed*ness, n.