distrain verb. [dɪ'streɪn] ME.
[Old French destreign- pres. stem of destreindre from Latin distringere draw asunder, formed as DI-¹ + stringere draw tight.]
I. Law.
1. verb trans. Constrain or force (a person), by seizure of a chattel, to meet an obligation; punish in this way for failure to meet an obligation; levy a distress on (a person) so that payment of money owed to one may be obtained. (Foll. by to do.) Now rare or obsolete. ME.
■ N. Bacon All such as ought to be Knights and are not, shall be distrained to undertake the weapons of Knighthood.
■ A. Tucker When Squire Peremptory distrained his tenant for rent.

2. verb intrans. Impose a distress (for goods, on or upon a person or thing). ME.
■ Milton Any seven or more of them..may distrain and imprison.
■ A. J. Ayer When the authorities distrained on his effects, his friends raised the money..for the first of his books to be put up for auction.

3. verb trans. Seize (a chattel) by way of distress; levy a distress on. LME.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲

distrain
II. gen.

4. verb trans. Press or grasp tightly; squeeze; confine, restrain. LME-E16.

5. verb trans. Of a circumstance or event: have in its hold; distress, oppress, afflict. LME-E17.

6. verb trans. Control by force, restrain, subdue. LME-M16.

7. verb trans. Force or compel (a person) to do. Only in LME.

8. verb trans. Strain out; extract by pressing or straining. LME-M17.

9. verb trans. Pull or tear off; tear apart. LME-L16.

10. verb trans. Seize, confiscate, annex. Also (rare), deprive (a person) of. M16-E18.

■ distrainable adjective liable to distraint; able to be distrained for: L16.

■ distrai'nee noun a person who is distrained L19.

■ distrainer noun = distrainor E17.

■ distrainment noun the action or fact of distraining, distraint LME.

■ distrainor noun a person who distrains M16.

[TahlilGaran] English Dictionary ▲