inhibit

Inhibit is defined as to hold back or keep something from happening.

(verb)

An example of inhibit is locking a door to keep people from coming in.

See inhibit in Webster's New World College Dictionary

transitive verb

Origin: < L inhibitus, pp. of inhibere, to hold back, restrain, curb < in-, in, on + habere, to have, hold: see habit

Related Forms:

See inhibit in American Heritage Dictionary 4

transitive verb in·hib·it·ed, in·hib·it·ing, in·hib·its

To hold back; restrain. See Synonyms at restrain.
To prohibit; forbid.
Psychology To suppress or restrain (behavior, an impulse, or a desire) consciously or unconsciously.
a. Chemistry To prevent or decrease the rate of (a reaction).
b. Biology To decrease, limit, or block the action or function of (an enzyme or organ, for example).

Origin:

Origin: Middle English inhibiten, to forbid

Origin: , from Latin inhibēre, inhibit-, to restrain, forbid

Origin: : in-, in; see in-²

Origin: + habēre, to hold; see ghabh- in Indo-European roots

Related Forms: