Definitions of distrain
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levy a distress on
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confiscate by distresstype of:attach, confiscate, impound, seize, sequestertake temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
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legally take something in place of a debt payment
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Vocabulary lists containing distrain
Vocabulary from the Magna Carta, List 2
The Magna Carta, signed in 1215, is 800 years old on June 15, 2015. The Magna Carta settled the rebellion of some barons against the king. Although some of the language is still obscure, the document is widely credited as being the first statement of individual rights under kingly rule. Among other things, it put a limit on payments that could be made to a king and ensured swift justice, guaranteed by a board of peers, in this case 25 barons. Here are lists of words from the English translation of the original Latin of this document that is the forerunner of democratic expressions like the Declaration of Independence.