term:

Sequestration

sequestration n

1 : the act of sequestering
: the state of being sequestered
2 a : a writ authorizing an official (as a sheriff) to take into custody the property of a defendant usually to enforce a court order, to exercise quasi in rem jurisdiction, or to preserve the property until judgment is rendered
b in the civil law of Louisiana
: a deposit in which a neutral person agrees to hold property in dispute and to restore it to the party to whom it is determined to belong
3 : the cancellation of funds for expenditure or obligation in order to enforce federal budget limitations set by law

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