What is "abuse of distress"

Distress \Dis*tress"\, n. [OE. destresse, distresse, OF. destresse, destrece, F. d['e]tresse, 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)

   1. 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.

   2. 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.

Abuse \A*buse"\, n. [F. abus, L. abusus, fr. abuti. See Abuse, v. t.]

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.''
   --Shak.

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.
   --C. J. Smith.

n. (context idiomatic legal English) a wrongful using of an animal or chattel distrained, by the distrainer