Dis·tress n.
1. Extreme pain or suffering; anguish of body or mind; as, to suffer distress from the gout, or from the loss of friends.
Not fearing death nor shrinking for distress. --Shak.
2. That which occasions suffering; painful situation; misfortune; affliction; misery.
Affliction's sons are brothers in distress. --Burns.
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.
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.
A·buse n.
1. Improper treatment or use; application to a wrong or bad purpose; misuse; as, an abuse of our natural powers; an abuse of civil rights, or of privileges or advantages; an abuse of language.
Liberty may be endangered by the abuses of liberty, as well as by the abuses of power. --Madison.
2. Physical ill treatment; injury. “Rejoice . . . at the abuse of Falstaff.”
3. A corrupt practice or custom; offense; crime; fault; as, the abuses in the civil service.
Abuse after disappeared without a struggle.. --Macaulay.
4. Vituperative words; coarse, insulting speech; abusive language; virulent condemnation; reviling.
The two parties, after exchanging a good deal of abuse, came to blows. --Macaulay.
5. Violation; rape; as, abuse of a female child. [Obs.]
Or is it some abuse, and no such thing? --Shak.
Abuse of distress Law, a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer.
Syn: -- Invective; contumely; reproach; scurrility; insult; opprobrium.
Usage: -- Abuse, Invective. Abuse is generally prompted by anger, and vented in harsh and unseemly words. It is more personal and coarse than invective. Abuse generally takes place in private quarrels; invective in writing or public discussions. Invective may be conveyed in refined language and dictated by indignation against what is blameworthy.
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