Present participle of estop; preventing someone from making a legal argument because it contradicts their earlier conduct or statements.
From estop (verb) + -ing present participle marker. Estop is a legal term borrowed from Old French meaning to stop or block, specifically used in court proceedings.
When a court applies estoppel, it's essentially saying 'you can't have your cake and eat it too'—if your actions led someone to believe something, you're stuck with the consequences of that belief.
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