trover

tro·ver   (trō'vər)    n.  A common-law action to recover damages for property illegally withheld or wrongfully converted to use by another. [From Anglo-Norman, to compose, invent, find, probably from Vulgar Latin *tropāre; see troubadour.]

Main Entry: tro·ver
Pronunciation: 'trO-v&r
Function: noun
Etymology: short for action of trover and conversion; Anglo-French trover act of finding (alluding to goods lost by the plaintiff and found by the defendant), from trover to find, from Old French
: an action at common law to recover the value of chattels or goods wrongfully converted by another to his or her own use —compare DETINUE

trover

a form of lawsuit in common-law countries (e.g., England, Commonwealth countries, and the United States) for recovery of damages for wrongful taking of personal property. Trover belongs to a series of remedies for such wrongful taking, its distinctive feature being recovery only for the value of whatever was taken, not for the recovery of the property itself (compare replevin).

Learn more about trover with a free trial on Britannica.com.