verb
garnish
To legally seize wages or property to pay a debt.
The court allows the creditor to garnish part of his paycheck.
Etymology
The older verb includes warning or notifying. The legal sense developed through formal notice to a holder of money or property, requiring it to be applied toward a debt.
More examples
- Her wages are garnished each month to repay the debt.
- State law limits how much a creditor can garnish.
- The agency garnishes his pay for overdue child support.
Forms
garnish · garnishes · garnished · garnishing
garnishment noun — Legal seizure of funds to repay debts.