[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/detain/)

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# detain

verb (detain, detains, detained, detaining); noun detention

«detain» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. To keep someone in a place and not let them leave, such as the police holding a suspect. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#m1)
2. To delay someone or keep them busy (I won't detain you long). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#m2)
3. (school) To keep a pupil after school as a punishment (detention). [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#m3)

### In the lessons

In safety and law: police can detain a suspect for questions. In school: detention. Formal voice: «Passengers were detained for questioning». Polite talk: «I won't detain you».

### Examples

- The police detained the man for questioning. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x1)
- Sorry to detain you; I just have one question. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x2)
- The storm detained us at the airport. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x3)
- He was detained after school for being rude. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x4)
- Two people were detained at the border. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x5)
- The guard detained the thief until the police came. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x6)
- "I will sing them all to you," said the mother; "but do not detain me now. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/#x7)

### Note

Formal. Noun: detention (also school detention); detainee (a person detained). Regular verb.

## In Jewish tradition

In safety and law: police can detain a suspect for questions. In school: detention. Formal voice: «Passengers were detained for questioning». Polite talk: «I won't detain you».

### Examples

- And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying: 'I am detained, I cannot go into the house of the LORD; (Prophets JER.36.5, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/detain/#x1)
- And Manoah said unto the angel of the LORD: 'I pray thee, let us detain thee, that we may make ready a kid for thee.' (Prophets JDG.13.15, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/detain/#x2)
- Now a certain man of the servants of Saul was there that day, detained before the LORD; and his name was Doeg the Edomite, the chiefest of the herdmen that belonged to Saul. — (Prophets 1SA.21.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/detain/#x3)

### Note

Formal. Noun: detention (also school detention); detainee (a person detained). Regular verb.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «detain» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/D/detain/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«detain» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/detain.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «detain» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/D/detain/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«detain» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/detain.html) on Mova free.