The Collaborative International Dictionary
Avowant
Avowant \A*vow"ant\, n. (Law)
The defendant in replevin, who avows the distress of the
goods, and justifies the taking.
--Cowell.
Wiktionary
avowant
n. (context legal English) The defendant in replevin, who avows the distress of the goods, and justify the take.