Dictionary
Thesaurus
Reference
Translate
Web
detain - 6 dictionary results

de⋅tain

[di-teyn]
–verb (used with object)
1. to keep from proceeding; keep waiting; delay.
2. to keep under restraint or in custody.
3. Obsolete. to keep back or withhold, as from a person.

Origin:
1480–90; detainen < AF, OF detenir < VL *dētenīre, for L dētinēre, equiv. to dē- de- + -tinēre, comb. form of tenēre to hold


de⋅tain⋅a⋅ble, adjective
de⋅tain⋅ment, noun


1. retard, stop, slow, stay, check.
de·tain   (dĭ-tān')   
tr.v.   de·tained, de·tain·ing, de·tains
  1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard.
  2. 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.
  3. Obsolete To retain or withhold (payment or property, for example).

[Middle English deteinen, from Old French detenir, from Vulgar Latin *dētenīre, from Latin dētinēre : dē-, de- + tenēre, to hold; see ten- in Indo-European roots.]
de·tain'ment n.

Detain

De*tain"\ (d[-e]*t[=a]n"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Detained; p. pr. & vb. n. Detaining.] [F. d['e]tenir, L. detinere, detentum; de + tenere to hold. See Tenable.]

1. To keep back or from; to withhold.

Detain not the wages of the hireling. --Jer. Taylor.

2. To restrain from proceeding; to stay or stop; to delay; as, we were detained by an accident.

Let us detain thee, until we shall have made ready a kid for thee. --Judges xiii. 15.

3. To hold or keep in custody.

Syn: To withhold; retain; stop; stay; arrest; check; retard; delay; hinder.

Detain

De*tain"\, n. Detention. [Obs.] --Spenser.
Language Translation for : detain
Spanish: entretener, demorar, retener,
German: aufhalten,
Japanese: 引き留める

detain 
c.1440, from M.Fr. detenir, from O.Fr. detenir "to hold off, keep back" (12c.), from L. detinere "hold off, keep back," from de- "from, away" + tenere "to hold" (see tenet).

Main Entry: de·tain
Function: transitive verb
1 : to hold or keep in custody or possession detained> detained in a care facility>
2 : to restrain from proceeding <detained the driver and asked to see his license>
Search another word or see detain on Thesaurus | Reference