garnishment

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
garnish/ˈɡɑːnɪʃ/

▶verb

• 1 decorate or embellish (something, especially food).

• 2 Law serve notice on (a third party) for the purpose of legally seizing money belonging to a debtor or defendant.

  ■ seize (money, especially part of a person's salary) to settle a debt or claim.

▶noun a small amount of food used to decorate other food.

– derivatives
garnishment noun.

– origin ME (in the sense ‘equip, arm’): from OFr. garnir, prob. of Gmc origin and rel. to warn.