distress (distres)

t. [ Though the distrust of futurity is a strange error, yet it is an error into which bad men may naturally be distre ed. For it is impo ible to bid defiance to final ruin without some refuge in imagination, some presumption of escape. Young , Night Thoughts, vii., Pref. Men who can neither be distre ed or won into a sacrifice of duty. Hamilton. Muley Abul Ha an now abandoned all hope of carrying the place by a ault, and attempted to distre it into terms by turning the channel of the river which runs by its walls. Irving , Granada, p. 44. 2. To afflict with pain, physical or mental; oppre or crush with s suffering, misfortune, or calamity; make miserable. Whan the kynge Belynans com to the bataile as was grete nede to the kynge Brangore, and to the kynge Carados, ffor the i were so dis tru ed that the i were euen at flight. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 249. We are troubled on every side, yet not distre ed. 2 Cor. iv. 8. What in their tempers teased us or distre 'd Is, with our anger and the dead, at rest. Crabbe, Works, II. 26, IMG:content-2898.png:[blocks in formation] 3. In law, to seize for debt; distrain. See dis- distre ingly (dis-tres'ing-li), adv. In a dis train, 6. =Syn. 2. Trouble, Hara , etc. See afflict. distre (dis-tres'), n. distres [ tre e, treche , destraiche , treche, destraiche, F. détre e = = Pr. des tre a , destrecha , constraint, distre ; from the verb. Hence, by apheresis, stre , n ., q. v.] 1. Con- straint; restraint; forcible control; control; oppre ion. This Eolus, with harde grace, Held the wyndes in distre e. Chaucer , House of Fame, 1. 1587. 2f. Compulsion; requirement. The sayde John Brendon .. to make amends to the sayde John Matthu after the distre e of the Master and Wardonys forsayde. English Gilds (E. E. T. S.), p. 323. 3. Pain or suffering of body or mind; great pain, anxiety, or grief. The thorny point Of bare distre hath ta'en from me the show Of smooth civility. Shak., As you Like it, ii. 7. With sorrow and heart's distre Wearied I fell asleep. Milton , P. L., xii. 613. 4. In general, a state of suffering or trouble; calamity; adversity; affliction; misery arising from want or misfortune. Upon the earth distre of nations. Luke xxi. 25. There was not enough local distre for charity to find interest in relieving it. Stubbs , Const. Hist., § 491. From those thy words, I deem from some distre By deeds of mine thy dear life I might save. William Morris, Earthly Paradise, I. 330. 5. In law : (a) The act of distraining. See dis train , 6. He would first demaund his dett, and yf he were not payed, he would straight goe and take a distre of his goodes and chattels, where he could find them, to the vale we. Spenser , State of Ireland. All who should set up such games should forfeit two hundred pounds, to be levied by distre on the offender's goods. Goldsmith, Richard Nash. (b) The common-law remedy by distraining. The practice of Distre - of taking nams, a word preserved in the once famous law-term with ern am-is attested by records considerably older than the Conquest. Maine, Early Hist. of Institutions, p. 262. (c) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction. As these distre es cannot be sold, the owner, upon mak ing satisfaction, may have his chattels again. tre ing manner. distrest, p. a. See distre ed. distrest, p. distreynet, v. A Middle English form of dis train. distributable (dis-trib'u-ta-bl), a. [ Let them melt up their eagles, and add the ma to the distributable fund, Jefferson, Correspondence, I. 421. distributary (dis-trib'u-ta-ri), a. [ dis tributarius , dis tri but us , pp.: see distribute .] Distributing; distributive; designed for distribution. Imp . Dict. distribute (dis-trib'ut), v.; pret. and pp. dis tributed , ppr. distributing . [L. dis tri but us , pp. of distribuere (> It. distribuire , stribuire = Sp. Pg . Pr. distribuir = F.distribuer ), divide, distribute, dis- , apart, + tribuere , give, impart: see tribute.] I. trans. 1. To divide or parcel out; allot in shares; bestow in parts or shares, or in due proportion; apportion; divide among several: as, Moses distributed lands to the tribes of Israel; Christ distributed the loaves to his disciples; to distribute justice. From hence a hundred rivers are supplied, which dis tribute health and verdure to the various countries through which they flow. Goldsmith, E ays, Asem. Tennyson, Guinevere. Walk your dim cloister, and distribute dole. The shore... is very vneuen, distributed into hills and dales. Capt. John Smith , True Travels, II. 112. 2. To separate and put in place or order; arrange by cla ification or location: as, to dis tribute printing-types into their respective boxes (see II., 2); to distribute animals into cla es, orders, genera, and species; to distrib ute the books in a library according to their subjects. 3. To spread; scatter; disperse. distributional Sit quiet in the soft showers of Providence, and favourable distributions in this world, either to thyself or others. Sir T. Browne, Christ. Mor., iii. 5. Bp . Atterbury . Our charitable distributions . 3. The act or proce of separating and arrang ing, or the special arrangement secured; separation into distinct order, parts, or cla es; systematic or natural arrangement: as, the distri bution of printing-types into their boxes (see distribute, II., 2); the distribution of plants into genera and species. The regular distribution of power into distinct departments. Hamilton . Our knowledge of distribution in Time, being derived wholly from the evidence afforded by fo ils, is limited to that geologic time of which some records remain: cannot extend to those pre-geologic times the records of which have been obliterated. H. Spencer, Prin. of Biol., § 107. The distribution of the positions and velocities of each set of spheres is independent of the remaining sets, and is in all respects the same as if that particular set alone existed in the region of space under consideration. H. W. Watson, Kinetic Theory of Gases, p. 22. 4. The act of spreading out as over a surface; in printing, the spreading of ink in an even film over the inking-rollers and the inking-table.5. In rhet.: (a) Enumeration of several persons or things, with attribution to each of a special office, function, or characteristic. (b) The cla ification of the topics of a discourse by dividing them under different heads: now more commonly called division. I do not mean that in every discourse a formal division, or distribution of it into parts, is requisite. Blair , Rhetoric, xxx i. 6. In logic: (a) The distinguishing of a universal whole into its several kinds or species: thus differing from division, by which an integral whole is distinguished into its several parts. (b) The acceptation of a term in a general sense to apply to many individuals. This use of distributio appears in the early part of the thirteenth century. Petrus His pan us says, " Distribution is a multiplication of a common term made by a universal sign; thus, when we say every man, the latter term is distributed or confounded by the sign every, so that there is a multiplication." He will tell you that this axiom containes a distribution, and that all such axioms are generall; and lastly, that a distribution in which any part is wanting, or abundant, (d) In old Scots law, a pledge taken by the sheriff from those who came to fairs or markets for their good behavior, which at their close was delivered back if no harm had been done.Abuse of distre . See abuse. - Distre sale, a sale of the thing distrained, in order to satisfy the claim.Distre warrant, a judicial proce authorizing an officer to distrain. - Double distre , in Scots law, a proce used by two or more creditors to attach the funds of their debtor in the hands of a third person. - Flag of distre . See flag2.- Infinite distre , in law, a distre not limited in quantity, and which might be repeated from time to time until the adverse party should yield. - Signal of distre ( naut. ), a signal that help is needed. Syn. 3. Grief, Sorrow, etc. See affliction.-4. Hardship, straits, IMG:content-2899.png:[blocks in formation] The separation of friends and families is, perhaps, one of the most distre ful circumstances attendant on penury. Goldsmith, Vicar, iii. 2. Indicating distre ; proceeding from pain or anguish: as, distre ful cries. One glance into Claude's face, darkened with perplexity, anger, and a distre ful effort to look amiable and comfortable, was one too many; Tarbox burst into a laugh. G. W. Cable, Au Large, xxi. 3t. Attended with poverty or misery; gained by severe or painful toil. Not all these, laid in bed majestical, Can sleep so soundly as the wretched slave, Who, with a body fill'd, and vacant mind, Gets him to rest, cramm'd with distre ful bread. Shak., Hen. V., iv. 1. distre fully (dis-tres'fül-i), adv . In a distre ing tre ing manner. distre ing (dis-tres'ing), p. a. Very painful or afflicting: as, a distre ing sickne . =Syn. Acute, grievous, trying, afflictive, torturing, miserable. The marques of Cadiz, with his confederate commanders, distributed themselves along the walls, to direct and animate their men in the defense. Irving , Granada, p. 43. 4. To spread out; cover a surface or fill a space with: as, to distribute ink (that is, spread it evenly and smoothly) on printing-rollers; to distribute manure over a field; to distribute heat in a building.-5. In logic , to employ in its full extent, as a term. - Distributed force. See forcel , - Distributed term, in logic , a term employed in its full extent, so as to comprehend all its significates, or everything to which it is applicable. Syn. 1. Apportion , Allot, A ign (see dispense ); partition, portion out.-2. To cla ify, arrange, sort, a ort, dispose. II. in trans. 1. To make distribution; exercise charity. Distributing to the nece ity of saints. Rom. xii. 13. 2. In printing , to put dead matter (that is, composed types that are no longer needed for printing) into the cases, by holding a quantity of it upright in the left hand on a support, and throwing the separate types from a number taken between the thumb and first and second fingers of the right hand into their proper boxes; to "throw in": as, he distributes rapidly. distributer (dis-trib'ū-tèr), n. One who or that which distributes. I am also by office an a isting sister of the deacons, and a deuourer, instead of a distributer of the alms, B. Jonson , Bartholomew Fair, v. 2.