quarantine

¹quar·an·tine

noun \ˈkwȯr-ən-ˌtēn, ˈkwär-\

Definition of QUARANTINE

1

: a period of 40 days

2

a : a term during which a ship arriving in port and suspected of carrying contagious disease is held in isolation from the shore b : a regulation placing a ship in quarantine c : a place where a ship is detained during quarantine

3

a : a restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests b : a place in which those under quarantine are kept

4

: a state of enforced isolation

Examples of QUARANTINE

1. The infected people were put into quarantine.
2. The cows will be kept in quarantine for another week.
3. The dog was put under quarantine.

Origin of QUARANTINE

partly modification of French quarantaine, from Old French, from quarante forty, from Latin quadraginta, from quadra- (akin to quattuor four) + -ginta (akin to viginti twenty); partly modification of Italian quarantena quarantine of a ship, from quaranta forty, from Latin quadraginta — more at four, vigesimal

First Known Use: 1609

Other Number-Related Terms

jubilee, myriad, score, twain

Rhymes with QUARANTINE

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