detain
verbUK /dɪˈteɪn/
Etymology From Old French detenir. Doublet of détente. Cognate with Italian detenere, Portuguese deter, Romanian deține, and Spanish detener.
1
To keep something from proceeding or coming to completion; to delay.
2
To keep someone from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
3
Archaic To keep back or from; to withhold.
- Detain not the wages of the hireling.1651, Jer[emy] Taylor, The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living. […], 2nd edition, London: […] Francis Ashe […], →OCLC:
4
Government, Law enforcement To put someone under custody.
- In April of 2009, however, the disease was found to suddenly no longer be appearing in newly-hatched chickens, and, upon review, it was discovered that Dr. Wildcat had modified 6002 without authorization, removing the disease from the genome. She's detained and questioned by Muller, and, even though she tries to lie that she didn't do anything, they have footage of her ascending the tree on her own.2021 August 16, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-6002 - All Creatures Great and Small” (19:06 from the start), in The Exploring Series, archived from the original on 10 Jan 2023:
5
To seize goods for official purposes.
- Derived terms
- detainable, detainee, detainer, detainingly, detainment, detention, redetain