term:

Replevin

replevin n

[Anglo-French replevine, from replevir to give security, from Old French, to give security for, from re- back + plevir to pledge]
: an action originating in common law and now largely codified by which a plaintiff having a right in personal property claimed to be wrongfully taken or detained by the defendant seeks to recover possession of the property and sometimes to obtain damages for the wrongful detention
;also
: a procedure allowing the plaintiff as a provisional remedy to take possession of the property prior to judgment on the action NOTE: Under section 2-716 of the Uniform Commercial Code, a buyer who is a party to a contract that has been breached by the seller has a right of replevin for goods that are identified to the contract if cover cannot reasonably be effected.
vt : replevy

Source: Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law ©1996. Merriam-Webster, Incorporated. Published under license with Merriam-Webster, Incorporated.