Dis*tress" (?), n. [OE.
destresse, distresse, OF. destresse,
destrece, F. détresse, 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.
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. 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.
Dis*tress", v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Distressed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Distressing.] [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) To seize for debt; to
distrain.
Syn. -- To pain; grieve; harass; trouble; perplex; afflict;
worry; annoy.
