detain
UK/dɪ'teɪn/US/di'tein/
IELTSTOEFLGREC2
Definitions
v.
To officially hold someone in custody
拘留；扣押
v.
To delay someone or keep them from leaving
耽搁；留住
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedde- (away, aside) + tain (hold) = to hold someone back or aside, stopping them from going on. The strong sense is legal (police detain a suspect); the milder one is everyday (sorry to detain you = sorry to hold you up).
Root tain still carries 87 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.detain a suspect拘留嫌疑人
- 2.be detained for questioning被扣留讯问
- 3.detained without charge未经指控拘留
Example Sentences
- 1.
Police detained two suspects for questioning.
- 2.
I won't detain you any longer; thanks for your time.