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Webster 1913 Edition


Duress

Du′ress

,
Noun.
[OF.
duresse
,
du[GREEK]
, hardship, severity, L.
duritia
,
durities
, fr.
durus
hard. See
Dure
.]
1.
Hardship; constraint; pressure; imprisonment; restraint of liberty.
The agreements . . . made with the landlords during the time of slavery, are only the effect of
duress
and force.
Burke.
2.
(Law)
The state of compulsion or necessity in which a person is influenced, whether by the unlawful restrain of his liberty or by actual or threatened physical violence, to incur a civil liability or to commit an offense.

Du-ress′

,
Verb.
T.
To subject to duress.
“The party duressed.”
Bacon.

Webster 1828 Edition


Duress

DURESS

,
Noun.
[L. See Durable.]
1.
Literally, hardship; hence, constraint. Technically, duress, in law, is of two kinds; duress of imprisonment, which is imprisonment or restraint of personal liberty; and duress by menaces or threats [per minas,] when a person is threatened with loss of life or limb. Fear of battery is no duress. Duress then is imprisonment or threats intended to compel a person to do a legal act, as to execute a deed; or to commit an offense; in which cases the act is voidable or excusable.
2.
Imprisonment; restraint of liberty.

Definition 2024


duress

duress

English

Noun

duress (uncountable)

  1. (obsolete) Harsh treatment.
    • Burke
      The agreements [] made with the landlords during the time of slavery, are only the effect of duress and force.
  2. Constraint by threat.
  3. (law) Restraint in which a person is influenced, whether by lawful or unlawful forceful compulsion of their liberty by monition or implementation of physical enforcement; legally for the incuring of civil liability, of a citizen's arrest, or of subrogation, or illegally for the committing of an offense, of forcing a contract, or of using threats.

Translations

Verb

duress (third-person singular simple present duresses, present participle duressing, simple past and past participle duressed)

  1. To put under duress; to pressure.
    Someone was duressing her.
    The small nation was duressed into giving up territory.

Anagrams