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   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. People also ask

   What does detain mean?

   • detain implies a holding back beyond a reasonable or appointed time. They were detained by the police for questioning. He claimed he had been illegally detained. Unexpected business had detained her. Recent Examples on the Web Twenty-nine of them were warned and 11 were detained for investigation, according to Kan News.

   Detain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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   What is a word for detaining a person?

   • 1. hold, arrest, confine, restrain, imprison, intern, take prisoner, take into custody, hold in custody He was arrested and detained for questioning. 2. delay, keep, stop, hold up, hamper, hinder, retard, impede, keep back, slow up or down We won't detain you any further.

   Detain | definition of detain by The Free Dictionary

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   What does detainment mean?

   • 1. to keep from proceeding; delay. 2. to keep under restraint. 3. Obs. to withhold. de•tain′ment, n. Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011 1. 2.

   Detain | definition of detain by The Free Dictionary

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   How do you use detain in a sentence?

   • Detain is specifically used when you're talking about holding someone so they can't go anywhere. It's often used in discussions involving the police who detain people who they think might be guilty. But you can use detain, say, when you're explaining why you were late: "I was detained at the office by a conference call that wouldn't end. Sorry."

   Detain - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms - Vocabulary.com

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   What does detener mean?

   • detener, demorar, retrasar… prender, deter, reter… Need a translator? Get a quick, free translation! DETAIN meaning: 1. to force someone officially to stay in a place: 2. to delay someone for a short length of time….

   DETAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/detain

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   What is the difference between keep and detain?

   • keep, retain, detain, withhold, reserve mean to hold in one's possession or under one's control. keep may suggest a holding securely in one's possession, custody, or control. retain implies continued keeping, especially against threatened seizure or forced loss. detain suggests a delay in letting go.

   Detain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

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3. www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › detainDetain Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

   www.merriam-webster.com › dictionary › detain

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   The meaning of DETAIN is to hold or keep in or as if in custody. How to use detain in a sentence. Synonym Discussion of Detain.

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

   www.collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english

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   detain in British English. (dɪˈteɪn) verb(transitive) 1. to delay; hold back; stop. 2. to confine or hold in custody; restrain. 3. archaic. to retain or withhold.

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

   www.dictionary.com › browse › detain

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   Detain definition: to keep from proceeding; keep waiting; delay. . See examples of DETAIN used in a sentence.

6. www.collinsdictionary.com › english-word › detainDETAIN - Find out everything about this English word | Collins

   www.collinsdictionary.com › english-word › detain

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   Definitions of 'detain'. 1. When people such as the police detain someone, they keep them in a place under their control. [formal] [...] 2. To detain someone means to delay them, for example by talking to them. [formal] [...] More.

7. dictionary.cambridge.org › english › detainDETAIN | definition in the Cambridge English Dictionary

   dictionary.cambridge.org › english › detain

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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.

8. www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › detaindetain verb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage ...

   www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › detain

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   detain. detain somebody to keep somebody 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. He has been detained without trial for nearly two years now.

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

   dictionary.cambridge.org › learner-english › detain

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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.