arrest
nounverbcommon in dialogue
- //əˈɹɛst//
- /[əˈɹʷɛst]/
A check; a stop; an act or instance of arresting something.
noun
- 1
A check; a stop; an act or instance of arresting something.
- 2
The condition of being stopped, standstill.
cardiac arrest, respiratory arrest
- 3
The process of arresting a criminal, suspect etc.
State police made a total of 15 drug-related arrests across the city.
- 4
A confinement, detention, as after an arrest.
- 5
A device to physically arrest motion.
- 6
The judicial detention of a ship to secure a financial claim against its operators.
- 7
obsoleteAny seizure by power, physical or otherwise.
The sad stories of fire from heaven, the burning of his sheep, etc., […] were sad arrests to his troubled spirit.
- 8
A scurfiness of the back part of the hind leg of a horse
Etymology
From Middle English arest (noun) and aresten (verb), from Old French areste (noun) and arester (“to stay, stop”, verb), from Vulgar Latin *arrestō, from Latin ad- (“to”) + restō (“to stop, remain behind, stay back”), from re- (“back”) + stō (“to stand”), from Proto-Indo-European *steh₂- (“to stand”), equivalent to ad- + rest. Compare French arrêter (“to stop”).
verb
- 1
obsoleteTo stop the motion of (a person, animal, or body part).
An vncouth paine torments my grieued ſoule, And death arreſts the organe of my voyce.
Nor could her virtues, nor repeated vows Of thousand lovers, the relentless hand Of Death arrest;
Mr. Van Rensberg broke the spell by arresting Martha as she trailed past him on Billy's arm, by pointing his pipestem at her and saying, ‘Hey, Matty, come here a minute.’
- 2
obsoleteTo stay, remain.
A white Starre[…]whiche to every mans sighte did lighte and arrest apon the Standard of Albry.
- 3
To stop or slow (a process, course etc.).
To try to arrest the spiral of violence, I contacted Chief Buthelezi to arrange a meeting.
1997: Chris Horrocks, Introducing Foucault, page 69 (Totem Books, Icon Books; →ISBN Knowledge replaced universal resemblance with finite differences. History was arrested and turned into tables …Western reason had entered the age of judgement.
- 4
To seize (someone) with the authority of the law; to take into legal custody.
The police have arrested a suspect in the murder inquiry.
The suspect merchant ship has been arrested by customs officers.
I arrest thee of high treason.
The policeman who arrests the "Red" does not understand the theories the "Red" is preaching; if he did, his own position as bodyguard of the monied class might seem less pleasant to him.
- 5
To catch the attention of.
There is something about this picture—something bold and vigorous, which arrests the attention. I feel sure it would be highly popular.
- 6
To undergo cardiac arrest.
Realizing the mistake immediately from the outline of the RCA on the fluoroscope screen, he rapidly removed the catheter – just as his patient arrested.
Forms
- plural
- arrests
- past tense
- arrested
- past participle
- arrested
- present participle
- arresting
- third person singular
- arrests
arrest · A check; a stop; an act or instance of arresting something.
arrested · Having been stopped or prevented from developing; terminated…arresting · Striking, gripping.arrival · The act of arriving (reaching a certain place).