impounding

im·pound

 (ĭm-pound′)

tr.v. im·pound·ed, im·pound·ing, im·pounds

1. To confine in or as if in a pound: capture and impound stray dogs.

2. To place (something) in legal custody until a dispute involving it is decided: impounding ballots in a disputed election.

3. To set aside in a fund rather than spend as prescribed: a governor who impounded monies designated for use by cities.

4. To accumulate and store in a reservoir: By damming the stream, the engineers impounded its waters for irrigation.

n. (ĭm′pound′)

1. A place where impounded property is stored, as a lot for keeping vehicles that have been towed by police order.

2. The process or activity of impounding something: the impound of the uninsured car.

---

im·pound′er n.

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Thesaurus

Noun

1.

impounding - placing private property in the custody of an officer of the law impoundment, internment, poundage seizure - the taking possession of something by legal process drug bust, drugs bust - seizure of illegal drugs by the police law, jurisprudence - the collection of rules imposed by authority; "civilization presupposes respect for the law"; "the great problem for jurisprudence to allow freedom while enforcing order"

Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.