Restrain RESTRA'IN, v.t. [L. restringo; re and stringo, to strain. The
letter g appears from the participle to be casual; stringo, for
strigo. Hence strictus, strict, stricture. If the two letters st
are removed, the word rigo coincides exactly, in primary sense, with
L. rego, rectus, right, and the root of reach, stretch, straight.]
1. To hold back; to check; to hold from action, proceeding or advancing,
either by physical or moral force, or by an interposing obstacle. Thus we
restrain a horse by a bridle; we restrain cattle from wandering by fences;
we restrain water by dams and dikes; we restrain men from crimes and
trespasses by laws; we restrain young people, when we can, by arguments or
counsel; we restrain men and their passions; we restrain the elements;
we attempt to restrain vice, but not always with success. 2. To
repress; to keep in awe; as, to restrain offenders. 3. To suppress;
to hinder or repress; as, to restrain excess. 4. To abridge; to
hinder from unlimited enjoyment; as, to restrain one of his pleasure or
of his liberty. 5. To limit; to confine. Not only a metaphysical
or natural, but a moral universality is also to be restrained by a part
of the predicate. 6. To withhold; to forbear. Thou restrainest
prayer before God. Job 15.
restrain
v 1: keep under control; keep in check; "suppress a smile";
"Keep your temper"; "keep your cool" [syn: restrain,
keep, keep back, hold back]
2: place limits on (extent or access); "restrict the use of this
parking lot"; "limit the time you can spend with your
friends" [syn: restrict, restrain, trammel, limit,
bound, confine, throttle]
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"
[syn: restrain, confine, hold]
4: hold back [syn: restrain, encumber, cumber,
constrain]
5: to compel or deter by or as if by threats [syn: intimidate,
restrain]
restrain transitive verbEtymology: Middle English restraynen, from Anglo-French
restreindre, from Latin restringere to restrain, restrict,
from re- + stringere to bind tight — more at strainDate: 14th century 1.a. to prevent from doing, exhibiting, or expressing something
<restrained the child from jumping> b. to limit,
restrict, or keep under control <try to restrain your anger>
2. to moderate or limit the force, effect, development, or full
exercise of <restrain trade> 3. to deprive of liberty;
especially to place under arrest or restraint • restrainableadjective • restrainernoun Synonyms:restrain, check, curb, bridle mean to hold back from or control in
doing something. restrain suggests holding back by force or persuasion
from acting or from going to extremes <restrained themselves from
laughing>. check implies restraining or impeding a progress, activity,
or impetus <trying to check government spending>. curb
suggests an abrupt or drastic checking <learn to curb your
appetite>. bridle implies keeping under control by subduing or holding
in <bridle an impulse to throw the book down>.
restrain v.tr. 1 (often refl., usu. foll. by from) check or hold in; keep in check or under control or within bounds. 2 repress; keep down. 3 confine;
imprison. Derivatives: restrainable adj. restrainer n. Etymology: ME f. OF restrei(g)n- stem of restreindre f. L restringere restrict- (as RE-, stringere tie)
restrain
(restrains, restraining, restrained)
1. If you restrain someone, you stop them from doing what they intended or wanted to do,
usually by using your physical strength.
Wally gripped my arm, partly to restrain me and partly to reassure me...VERB: V n
2. If you restrain an emotion or you restrainyourself from doing something,
you prevent yourself from showing that emotion or doing what you wanted or intended to do.
She was unable to restrain her desperate anger...Gladys wanted to ask, 'Aren't you angry with him?' But she restrained herself from
doing so.VERB: V n, V n from -ing/n
3. To restrain something that is growing or increasing means to prevent it from getting
too large.
The radical 500-day plan was very clear on how it intended to try to restrain
inflation...= check
VERB: V n
restrain
rɪsˈtreɪn v.tr. 1 (often refl., usu. foll. by from) check or hold
in; keep in check or under control or within bounds. 2 repress; keep down. 3
confine; imprison. øørestrainable adj. restrainer n. [ME f. OF restrei(g)n-
stem of restreindre f. L restringere restrict- (as RE-, stringere tie)]
Restrain \Re*strain"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Restrained; p. pr.
& vb. n. Restraining.] [OE. restreinen, F. restreindre, fr.
L. restringere, restrictum; pref. re- re- + stringere to
draw, bind, or press together. See Strain, v. t., and cf.
Restrict.]
1. To draw back again; to hold back from acting, proceeding,
or advancing, either by physical or moral force, or by any
interposing obstacle; to repress or suppress; to keep
down; to curb.
Restrain in me the cursed thoughts that nature Gives
way to in repose! --Shak.
2. To draw back toghtly, as a rein. [Obs.] --Shak.
3. To hinder from unlimited enjoiment; to abridge.
Though they two were committed, at least restrained
of their liberty. --Clarendon.
4. To limit; to confine; to restrict. --Trench.
Not only a metaphysical or natural, but a moral,
universality also is to be restrained by a part of
the predicate. --I. Watts.
5. To withhold; to forbear.
Thou restrained prayer before God. --Job. xv. 4.
Syn: To check; hinder; stop; withhold; repress; curb;
suppress; coerce; restrict; limit; confine.
restrain
rɪsˈtreɪn v.
1 (keep under or in) control, (keep or hold in) check, hold (back or in), curb, govern:
A poor rider, he was unable to restrain his horse. Something must be done to restrain the
general's power.
2 limit, restrict, inhibit, regulate, suppress, repress, bar, debar, curtail, stifle,
hinder, interfere with, hamper, handicap: Trade between the two countries was restrained because
of tariff disputes.
3 (place under) arrest, confine, imprison, incarcerate, detain, hold, lock up, jail or
Brit also gaol, shut in or up: For his most recent offence, he was restrained for two months.
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