lien

/ˈli(ə)n/

/ˈliən/

Other forms: liens

A lien is a claim against the property of someone who owes money. It's pronounced like "lean," which might also describe your meager finances if a lien has been placed on your home.

When someone doesn't make payments on a loan, the bank may put a lien on that person's property, claiming ownership of that property until the overdue payment is received. The word lien derives from the Latin ligāre, which means "to bind," and you can see that "binding," or tying up a person's property, really does put the owner in a "bind."

Definitions of lien

1. noun

   the right to take another's property if an obligation is not discharged
   types:

   artisan's lien

   lien permitting an artisan to retain possession of a piece of work until has been paid for

   general lien

   a lien on all the property owned by a debtor and not just a specific property

   judgment lien

   lien on a debtor's property that is granted to a creditor by court judgment; lien may be enforced by having the sheriff seize the property and hold a sheriff's sale

   landlord's lien

   lien on a tenant's property for the satisfaction of unpaid rent or property damage; the landlord is given the status of a preferred creditor with regard to the tenant's property

   mechanic's lien

   lien to secure payment for work and materials in erecting or repairing a building or other structure

   tax lien

   lien of which a tax collector may avail himself in default of taxes (analogous to a judgment lien)

   warehouseman's lien

   right of a warehouseman to retain goods until all storage charges have been paid

   federal tax lien

   lien of the United States on all property of a taxpayer who fails to pay the federal government the taxes for which he or she is liable

   garageman's lien

   the extension of a mechanic's lien to include payment for work on automobiles

   state tax lien

   a lien on the property of a taxpayer that the tax collector can use upon default of payment of taxes

   type of:

   security interest

   any interest in a property that secures the payment of an obligation
2. noun

   a large dark-red oval organ on the left side of the body between the stomach and the diaphragm; produces cells involved in immune responses
   synonyms: spleen

   type of:

   lymphatic tissue, lymphoid tissue

   tissue making up the lymphatic system