arrest

¹ar·rest

verb \ə-ˈrest\

Definition of ARREST

transitive verb

1

a : to bring to a stop <sickness arrested his activities> b : check, slow c : to make inactive <an arrested tumor>

2

: seize, capture; specifically : to take or keep in custody by authority of law

3

: to catch suddenly and engagingly <arrest attention>

— ar·rest·er also ar·res·tor \-ˈres-tər\ noun

— ar·rest·ment \-ˈres(t)-mənt\ noun

Examples of ARREST

1. The police arrested him on drug charges.
2. The police officer said, “I'm arresting you in the name of the law.”
3. The drugs can't arrest the disease's progress, but they can slow it down considerably.

Origin of ARREST

Middle English aresten, from Anglo-French arester to stop, arrest, from Vulgar Latin *arrestare, from Latin ad- + restare to remain — more at rest

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to ARREST

Synonyms: apprehend, bust [slang], collar, nab, nail, nick [British slang], pick up, pinch, pull in, restrain, run in, seize

Antonyms: discharge

Related Words: bag, capture, catch, get, grab, grapple, hook, land, snap (up), snare, snatch, trap; commit, confine, detain, hold, immure, imprison, incarcerate, intern, jail, jug, lock (up); bind, enchain, fetter, handcuff, manacle, shackle, trammel; rearrest; remand

Near Antonyms: emancipate, free, liberate, loose, loosen, release, spring; unbind, unchain

see all synonyms and antonyms

[+]more[-]hide

Other Legal Terms

actionable, alienable, carceral, chattel, complicity, decedent, larceny, malfeasance, modus operandi

Rhymes with ARREST

abreast, abscessed, appressed, armrest, at best, at rest, attest, backrest, beau geste, bed rest, behest, bequest, blood test, congest, conquest, contest, crow's nest, depressed, detest, devest, digest, distressed, divest, egest, eighth rest, field-test, flight-test, footrest, gabfest, half rest, hard-pressed, headrest, high-test, hillcrest, hope chest, houseguest, imprest, incest, infest, ingest, inquest, interest, invest, Key West, lovefest, love nest, Mae West, mare's nest, Midwest, molest, northwest, patch test, posttest, pretest, professed, protest, redbreast, repressed, request, revest, road test, scratch test, screen test, sea chest, skin test, slop chest, slugfest, southwest, spot test, steam chest, stress test, suggest, Trieste, t-test, unblessed, undressed, unrest, unstressed, war chest, whole rest, Wild West