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1. Dictionary

   detain

   /dɪˈteɪn/

   verb

   • 1. keep (someone) from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention: "she made to open the door, but he detained her" Similar delayhold upmake lateretardkeep (back)slow upslow downset backget bogged downhinderhamperimpedeobstruct
   • ▪ keep (someone) in official custody, typically for questioning about a crime or in a politically sensitive situation: "she was detained without trial for two years"
   • ▪ officially seize and hold (goods): "customs officers may detain goods for up to two days" Similar holdtake into custodyput into custodyplace in custodyremand in custodyhold in custodykeep in custodytake (in)seizeconfineimprisonlock upput in jailput behind barsincarcerateimpoundinternrestrainarrestapprehendinformal:pick uprun inpull inhaul incopbustnabnaildocollarfeel someone's collarnickpinchOpposite release

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘be afflicted with sickness or infirmity’): from Old French detenir, from a variant of Latin detinere, from de- ‘away, aside’ + tenere ‘to hold’.

   Derivatives

   • 1. detainment noun

   Scrabble Points: 7

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     2

   • E

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   • T

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   • A

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   • I

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   • N

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   More definitions, origin and scrabble points

2. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › englishDETAIN | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › english

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   DETAIN definition: 1. to force someone officially to stay in a place: 2. to delay someone for a short length of time…. Learn more.

3. www.dictionary.com › browse › detainDETAIN Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com

   www.dictionary.com › browse › detain

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   verb (used with object) to keep from proceeding; keep waiting; delay. Synonyms: check, stay, stop, hinder, slow, retard. to keep under restraint or in custody. Obsolete. to keep back or withhold, as from a person. detain. / ˌdiːteɪˈniː; dɪˈteɪn /.

4. www.thefreedictionary.com › detainDetain - definition of detain by The Free Dictionary

   www.thefreedictionary.com › detain

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   1. To keep from proceeding; delay or retard: Our friends were detained by heavy traffic. 2. To keep in custody or confinement: The police detained several suspects for questioning. 3. Archaic To retain or withhold (payment or property, for example).

5. www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › englishDETAIN definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   transitive verb. 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. SYNONYMS 1. retard, stop, slow, stay, check.

6. dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionaryDETAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › us › dictionary

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   to force someone officially to stay in a place: A suspect is being detained by the police for further questioning. To detain someone is also to delay that person for a short period of time: We were detained in traffic and arrived at the theater a little late.

7. www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › detainDetain - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

   www.vocabulary.com › dictionary › detain

   When you detain someone, you hold them back, slow them down, or stop them from moving on. If you are detained by the police, you may be late for the big football game, even if you were speeding to get there by the kickoff.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitiondetain verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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   detain somebody (formal) to delay somebody or prevent them from going somewhere. I'm sorry—he'll be late; he's been detained at a meeting. The minister was unavoidably detained in Lisbon on affairs of state. see also detention

9. dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-englishDETAIN | meaning - Cambridge Learner's Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › dictionary › learner-english

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   DETAIN definition: to keep someone somewhere and not allow them to leave, especially in order to ask them about a…. Learn more.

10. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definitiondetain verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes...

    www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition

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    detain. verb. /dɪˈteɪn/. Verb Forms. detain somebody to keep someone in an official place, such as a police station, a prison, or a hospital, and prevent them from leaving One man has been detained for questioning.

11. www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › detaindetain | meaning of detain in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary...

    www.ldoceonline.com › dictionary › detain

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    detain meaning, definition, what is detain: to officially prevent someone from leavi...: Learn more.