Link Centre Dictionary

restrain

rest·rain

UK/ɹɪˈstɹeɪn/ US/riˈstreɪn/ fairly common

verb

1.

keep under control; keep in check

  • “suppress a smile”
  • “Keep your temper”
  • “keep your cool”
Synonyms
2.

place limits on (extent or access)

  • “restrict the use of this parking lot”
  • “limit the time you can spend with your friends”
Synonyms
3.

to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement

  • “This holds the local until the express passengers change trains”
  • “About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade”
  • “The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center”
  • “The terrorists held the journalists for ransom”
Synonyms
4.
5.

to compel or deter by or as if by threats

Synonyms

Origin

From Middle English restreinen, from Old French restreindre, from Latin rēstringere (“fasten, tighten”).

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Entails

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.