Etymology : Middle English aresten, from Middle French arester to rest, arrest, from Vulgar Latin arrestare, from Latin ad- + restare to remain; more at REST
Pronunciation : &-'rest
Function : transitive verb
Date : 14th century
1. detention; imprisonment. detain; delay, slow down, stop; imprison. arrest\ar*rest"\, v. i. to tarry; to rest. [obs.]arrest \ar*rest"\ , v. t. [imp. & p. p. arrested; p. pr. & vb. n. arresting.] [oe. aresten, of. arester, f. arrêter, fr. ll. arrestare; l. ad + restare to remain, stop; re + stare to stand. see:
rest remainder.].
2. to stop; to check or hinder the motion or action of; as, to arrest the current of a river; to arrest the senses. nor could her virtues the relentless hand of death arrest. ips.
3. (law) to take, seize, or apprehend by authority of law; as, to arrest one for debt, or for a crime.note: after this word shakespeare uses of ("i arrest thee of high treason") or on; the modern usage is for.
4. to seize on and fix; to hold; to catch; as, to arrest the eyes or attention.
5. to rest or fasten; to fix; to concentrate. [obs.] we may arrest our thoughts upon the divine mercies. taylor.
6. To stop; to check or hinder the motion or action of; as, to arrest the current of a river; to arrest the senses.
7. To take, seize, or apprehend by authority of law; as, to arrest one for debt, or for a crime.
8. To seize on and fix; to hold; to catch; as, to arrest the eyes or attention.
9. To rest or fasten; to fix; to concentrate.
10. To tarry; to rest.
11. The act of stopping, or restraining from further motion, etc.; stoppage; hindrance; restraint; as, an arrest of development.
12. The taking or apprehending of a person by authority of law; legal restraint; custody.
13. Also, a decree, mandate, or warrant.
14. Any seizure by power, physical or moral.
15. A scurfiness of the back part of the hind leg of a horse; also named rat-tails. the state of inactivity following an interruption; "the negotiations were in arrest"; "held them in check"; "during the halt he got some lunch"; "the momentary stay enabled him to escape the blow"; "he spent the entire stop in his seat".
16. 1. If the police arrest you, they take charge of you and take you to a police station, because they believe you may have committed a crime. Police arrested five young men in connection with one of the attacks The police say seven people were arrested for minor offences. Arrest is also a noun. Police chased the fleeing terrorists and later made two arrests Murder squad detectives approached the man and placed him under arrest.
17. If something or someone arrests a process, they stop it continuing. The sufferer may have to make major changes in his or her life to arrest the disease.
18. If something interesting or surprising arrests your attention, you suddenly notice it and then continue to look at it or consider it carefully. The work of an architect of genius always arrests the attention no matter how little remains see also:
house arrest. when the police take someone away and guard them because they may have done something illegal. Restraint and seizure of a person by someone (e.g., a police officer) acting under legal authority. An officer may arrest a person who is committing or attempting to commit a crime in the officer's presence. Arrest is also permitted if the officer reasonably believes that a crime has been committed and that the person arrested is the guilty party. A court or judicial officer may issue an arrest warrant on a showing of probable cause. Most states restrict or prohibit arrest in civil (noncriminal) cases; an example of occasionally permitted civil arrest is the taking into custody of a debtor who might otherwise abscond. In the U.S., suspects must be warned of their rights when they are arrested (see:
Miranda v. Arizona). An unlawful arrest is regarded as false imprisonment and usually invalidates any evidence collected in connection with it. See also rights of the accused; grand jury; indictment.