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Webster 1913 Edition


Detain

De-tain′

(dē̍-tān′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Detained
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Detaining
.]
[F.
détenir
, 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.
Syn. – To withhold; retain; stop; stay; arrest; check; retard; delay; hinder.

De-tain′

,
Noun.
Detention.
[Obs.]
Spenser.

Webster 1828 Edition


Detain

DETAIN

, verb transitive [Latin , to hold. See Tenant.]
1.
To keep back or from; to withhold; to keep what belongs to another. detain not the wages of the hireling.
2.
To keep or restrain from proceeding, either going or coming; to stay or stop. We were detained by the rain.
Let us detain thee, till we have made ready a kid. Judges 13:15.
3.
To hold in custody.

Definition 2024


detain

detain

English

Verb

detain (third-person singular simple present detains, present participle detaining, simple past and past participle detained)

  1. (transitive) To keep someone from proceeding by holding them back or making claims on their attention.
  2. (transitive) To put under custody.
  3. (transitive) To keep back or from; to withhold.
    • Jeremy Taylor
      Detain not the wages of the hireling.
  4. (transitive) To seize goods for official purposes.

Translations