DETINUE, noun In law, a writ of detinue is one that lies against him who wrongfully detains goods or chattels delivered to him, or in his possession. This writ lies for a thing certain and valuable, as for a horse, cow, sheep, plate, cloth, etc., to recover the thing itself or damages for the detainer.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI