To act upon ; influence; change ; enlarge or abridge. This word is often used in the sense of acting injuriously upon persons and things. Ryan v. Carter, 93 U. S. 84, 23 L. Ed. S07; Tyler v. Wells, 2 Mo. App. 538; Holland v. Dickerson, 41 Iowa, 373; United States v. Ortega, 11 Wheat. 467, 6 L. Ed. 521.
Black’s Law Online Dictionary
