n. 1 compulsion, esp. imprisonment, threats, or violence, illegally used to force a person to act against his or her will (under duress). 2 forcible restraint or imprisonment.
[ ME f. OF duresse f. L duritia f. durus hard ]
DURESS
Meaning of DURESS in English
Concise Oxford English dictionary. Краткий оксфордский словарь английского языка. 2012