distrain

"dis-" came to English from Old French "des-" and means "not", a negation of the word it precedes.
Our "dis" for today is the word...

distrain

Meanings:
1) To bear down with force to comply; bind & torment.
2) To seize or detain goods as pledge or indemnification.

Related forms:
distrained, distraining (verb)
distrainable (adjective)
distraint, distrainor, distrainer (noun)

This word is used mostly in the law as indicated in the second meaning above but this shouldn't stop us from using it elsewhere.

Examples:
"When Bertha became CEO of the company, she quickly fired the VP who distrained her career path."
"The court issued an order to distrain the vehicle where the contraband was found."

 

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