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confines

[kuhn-fahyn for 1, 2, 5, 6; kon-fahyn for 3, 4]

verb (used with object)

to enclose within bounds; limit or restrict: She confined her remarks to errors in the report. Confine your efforts to finishing the book.

to shut or keep in; prevent from leaving a place because of imprisonment, illness, discipline, etc.: For that offense he was confined to quarters for 30 days.

noun

Usually, confines. a boundary or bound; limit; border; frontier.

Often, confines. region; territory.

Archaic. confinement.

Obsolete. a place of confinement; prison.

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Confines is always a great word to know.

So is doohickey. Does it mean:

a gadget; dingus; thingumbob.

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

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Origin:
1350–1400 for noun; 1515–25 for v.; (noun) Middle English < Middle French confins, confines < Medieval Latin confinia, plural of Latin confinis boundary, border (see con-, fine²); (v.) < Middle French confiner, verbal derivative of confins < Latin, as above

Related forms

con·fin·a·ble, con·fine·a·ble, adjective

con·fine·less, adjective

con·fin·er, noun

non·con·fin·ing, adjective

pre·con·fine, verb (used with object), pre·con·fined, pre·con·fin·ing.

EXPAND

qua·si-con·fin·ing, adjective

re·con·fine, verb (used with object), re·con·fined, re·con·fin·ing.

self-con·fin·ing, adjective

un·con·fin·a·ble, adjective

un·con·fin·ing, adjective