Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

impound

 - 4 dictionary results

im⋅pound

[v. im-pound; n. im-pound]
–verb (used with object)
1. to shut up in a pound or other enclosure, as a stray animal.
2. to confine within an enclosure or within limits: water impounded in a reservoir.
3. to seize and retain in custody of the law, as a document for evidence.
–noun
4. money, property, etc., that has been impounded: a sale of impounds by the police department.

Origin:
1545–55; im- 3 + pound 3


im⋅pound⋅a⋅ble, adjective
im⋅pound⋅er, noun
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To impound
im·pound   (ĭm-pound')   
tr.v.   im·pound·ed, im·pound·ing, im·pounds
  1. To confine in or as if in a pound: capture and impound stray dogs.

  2. To seize and retain in legal custody: impounding disputed electoral ballots.

  3. To set aside in a fund rather than spend as prescribed: a governor who impounded monies designated for use by cities.

  4. To accumulate and store in a reservoir: By damming the stream, the engineers impounded its waters for irrigation.

im·pound'er n.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

impound 
1554, "to shut up in a pen or pound," from in- "in" + pound (n.). Originally of cattle seized by law.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Legal Dictionary

Main Entry: im·pound
Pronunciation: im-'paund
Function: transitive verb
: to take control of in the custody of the law or by legal authority <impound a vehicle> impounded the dwelling until the search warrant was obtained> —im·pound·ment noun
Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of Law, © 1996 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see impound on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: