transitive verb (past and past participlear·rest·ed, present participlear·rest·ing, 3rd person present singularar·rests)
Definition:
1. criminal law take somebody into custody: to seize and take somebody into legal custody
2. stop something: to stop or slow something
(
formal
)
a mechanism that arrests the motion of the flywheel
3. take hold of something: to suddenly capture and hold something, especially somebody's attention
(
formal
)
an astonishing sight that arrested our attention
4. seize something legally: to seize or detain something by legal authority
(
formal
)
noun (pluralar·rests)
Definition:
1. criminal law taking of somebody into custody: the seizure of somebody and the taking of that person into legal custody a case of wrongful arrest
2. criminal law custody: the state of being held in legal custody You're under arrest!
3. stopping of something: the stopping or slowing of something
4. law legal seizure of something: the legal seizure or detention of something
(
formal
)
the arrest of the suspect merchant ship by customs officers
[14th century. Via Old French< assumed Vulgar Latin arrestare "cause to stop" < Latin restare "stay behind" (see rest2)]
