Noun

(-)

(Cause of) discomfort.

* {{quote-book

, year=1833 , author=John Trusler , title=The Works of William Hogarth: In a Series of Engravings , chapter=8 citation , passage=To heighten his distress , he is approached by his wife, and bitterly upbraided for his perfidy in concealing from her his former connexions (with that unhappy girl who is here present with her child, the innocent offspring of her amours, fainting at the sight of his misfortunes, being unable to relieve him farther), and plunging her into those difficulties she never shall be able to surmount.}}

Serious danger.

* {{quote-book

, year=1719 , author=Daniel Defoe , title=Robinson Crusoe , chapter=13 citation , passage=I immediately considered that this must be some ship in distress , and that they had some comrade, or some other ship in company, and fired these gun for signals of distress, and to obtain help.}}

* {{quote-book

, year=1759 , author=Voltaire , title=Candide , chapter=42 citation , passage=At length they perceived a little cottage; two persons in the decline of life dwelt in this desert, who were always ready to give every assistance in their power to their fellow-creatures in distress .}}

(legal) A seizing of property without legal process to force payment of a debt.

(legal) The thing taken by distraining; that which is seized to procure satisfaction.

* Spenser

If he were not paid, he would straight go and take a distress of goods and cattle.

* Blackstone

The distress thus taken must be proportioned to the thing distrained for.

Noun

(en noun)

A dog, particularly a breed with a good sense of smell developed for hunting other animals. (hunt hound, hunting hound, hunting dog, hunter)

(by extension) Someone who seeks something.

* 1996 , Marc Parent, Turning Stones , , ISBN 0151002045, page 93,

On the way out of the building I was asked for my autograph. If I'd known who the signature hound thought I was, I would've signed appropriately.

* 2004 , , ISBN 0743486196, page 483,

I still do not know if he's taken on this case because he's a glory hound , because he wants the PR, or if he simply wanted to help Anna.

(by extension) A male who constantly seeks the company of receptive females.

* 1915 , , volume 122, number 787, December 1915, republished in ''Harper's Monthly Magazine , volume 122, December 1915 to May 1916, page 108,

"Are you alone, Goodson?

"She had a good many successors, John."

"You are such a hound , in that respect, Goodson," said Claywell, "and you have always been such a hound, that it astounds me to find you—unaccompanied."

A despicable person.

* Shakespeare

Boy! false hound !

* Elizabeth Walter, Come and Get Me

'You blackmailing hound ,' the parrot said distinctly, in what Hodges recognized as General Derby's voice. Anstruther turned pale.

A houndfish.

(nautical, in the plural) Projections at the masthead, serving as a support for the trestletrees and top to rest on.

A side bar used to strengthen portions of the running gear of a vehicle.

In more recent times, hound' has been replaced by ' dog but the sense remains the same.