arrest

Formsarrests, arresting, arrested

Pluralarrests

1. 1
   take into custodyverbtransitive

   To stop and hold someone because the police think they broke the law.

   The police arrest people who break the law.

   Officers arrested the suspect outside his home.

   UsagePolice arrest someone for a crime: arrested for stealing.

   Similarapprehend, detain, seize, capture

   Oppositerelease, free, liberate

   Note
2. 2
   a police capturenouncountable or uncountable

   The act of catching and holding someone because they may have broken the law.

   His arrest happened after a long chase through the city.

   The arrest of the thief made the local news.

   UsagePolice make an arrest: they made three arrests.

   Similarapprehension, capture

   Note
3. 3
   being heldnoununcountable

   Being kept in a place and not allowed to leave, often after being caught.

   The soldier was kept under arrest for breaking the rules.

   The protest leader spent three weeks under arrest before a judge let him go.

   UsageUsually said as under arrest: he was under arrest.

   Similardetention, confinement, custody

   Oppositefreedom, liberty, release

4. 4
   nouncountable

   When something stops moving or stops growing or developing, or the time it stays stopped.

   Doctors were worried about the arrest in the baby's growth.

   Without enough water, the young plants showed an arrest of growth.

   UsageSay an arrest of something, like growth. Cardiac arrest means the heart stops.

   Note
5. 5
   stop progressverbtransitive

   To stop or slow down something that is happening.

   Like pressing the brakes to stop a moving car.

   Doctors hope the new drug will arrest the spread of the disease.

   Quick action arrested the fire before it reached the houses.

   UsageUse it with things that are happening: arrest the spread of a disease.

   Similarhalt, stop, check, slow, curb

   Oppositeaccelerate, quicken, stimulate

   Note
6. 6
   heart stopsverbintransitive

   To have your heart suddenly stop beating.

   My grandfather arrested in the ambulance, but the medics got his heart beating again.

   Nurses check heart patients often, because some can arrest with no warning.

   UsageDoctors say a patient arrested. Most people say someone went into cardiac arrest.

   Note
7. 7
   grab attentionverbtransitive

   To catch and hold someone's attention.

   Like a loud sound that makes you stop and look.

   The bright painting arrested the eye of everyone who walked into the room.

   A strange noise can arrest your attention right away.

   UsageUsually said of the eye or attention: a picture that arrests the eye.

   Similarcatch, capture, grab, grip, hold

   Note

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