detain

To detain is defined as to keep someone somewhere or cause someone to be unable to proceed.

(verb)

When police keep a suspect at the station for questioning, this is an example of a situation where the police detain the suspect.

See detain in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

Origin: ME deteinen < OFr detenir < L detinere, to hold down or off, keep back, detain < de-, off, from + tenere, to hold: see tenant

Related Forms:

See detain in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains

To keep from proceeding; delay or retard.
To keep in custody or temporary confinement: The police detained several suspects for questioning. The disruptive students were detained after school until their parents had been notified.
Obsolete To retain or withhold (payment or property, for example).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English deteinen

Origin: , from Old French detenir

Origin: , from Vulgar Latin *dētenīre

Origin: , from Latin dētinēre

Origin: : dē-, de-

Origin: + tenēre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: