detain

Everyday

1. To keep someone in a place and not let them leave, such as the police holding a suspect. tree →
2. To delay someone or keep them busy (I won't detain you long). tree →
3. (school) To keep a pupil after school as a punishment (detention). tree →

In the lessons

In safety and law: police can detain a suspect for questions. In school: detention. Formal voice: «Passengers were detained for questioning». Polite talk: «I won't detain you».

Examples

• The police detained the man for questioning. tree →
• Sorry to detain you; I just have one question. tree →
• The storm detained us at the airport. tree →
• He was detained after school for being rude. tree →
• Two people were detained at the border. tree →
• The guard detained the thief until the police came. tree →
• "I will sing them all to you," said the mother; "but do not detain me now. tree →

Note

Formal. Noun: detention (also school detention); detainee (a person detained). Regular verb.

In Jewish tradition

In safety and law: police can detain a suspect for questions. In school: detention. Formal voice: «Passengers were detained for questioning». Polite talk: «I won't detain you».

Examples

• And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying: 'I am detained, I cannot go into the house of the LORD; (Prophets JER.36.5, JPS 1917) tree →
• And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD: 'I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.' (Prophets JDG.13.15, JPS 1917) tree →
• Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. — (Prophets 1SA.21.8, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Formal. Noun: detention (also school detention); detainee (a person detained). Regular verb.