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confine

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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionarycon·fine I \ˈkän-ˌfīn also kən-ˈ\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French or Latin; Anglo-French confines, plural, from Latin confine border, from neuter of confinis adjacent, from com- + finis end DATE 15th century1. plural a. something (as borders or walls) that encloses outside the confines of the office or hospital — W. A. Nolen also : something that restrains escape from the confines of soot and clutter — E. S. Muskie b. scope 3 work within the confines of a small group — Frank Newman2. a. archaic : restriction b. obsolete : prison II \kən-ˈfīn\ verb (con·fined ; con·fin·ing) DATE 1523intransitive verbarchaic : bordertransitive verb1. a. to hold within a location b. imprison2. to keep within limits will confine my remarks to one subjectSynonyms: see limit• con·fin·er nounEnglish Etymologyconfine confine (n.) c.1400, from L. confinium (pl. confinia) "boundary, limit," from confine, neut. of confinis "bordering on," from com-"with" + finis "an end" (see finish). The noun is older in Eng.; verb sense of "keeping within limits" is from 1595.Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7☞ confinecon·fine / kEn5fain / verb[VN] 1. ~ sb / sth to sth [often passive] to keep sb / sth inside the limits of a particular activity, subject, area, etc. 限制；限定 SYN restrict : The work will not be confined to the Glasgow area. 此项工作不会局限于格拉斯哥地区。 I will confine myself to looking at the period from 1900 to 1916. 我将把自己考察的范围限定在 1900 年至 1916 年这段时间以内。 2. ~ sb / sth (in sth) [usually passive] to keep a person or an animal in a small or closed space 监禁；禁闭: Keep the dog confined in a suitable travelling cage. 把狗关进适于旅行的笼子里。 Here the river is confined in a narrow channel. 这条河在这里流入狭窄的河床。 The soldiers concerned were confined to barracks (= had to stay in the barracks , as a punishment) 有关的士兵已受到不得离开营房的禁闭处分。 3. be confined to bed, a wheelchair, etc. to have to stay in bed, in a wheelchair , etc. 使离不开(或受困于床、轮椅等): She was confined to bed with the flu. 她因患流感卧病在床。 He was confined to a wheelchair after the accident. 经过那场事故后他就离不开轮椅了。 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of EnglishOxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishconfine verb ADV. entirely, exclusively, solely, strictly, totally Reliance on state funding is not confined solely to industry. | increasingly | largely, mainly, principally The discussion will be confined largel to general principles. | generally, normally | effectively | by no means, not necessarily Poverty and deprivation are by no means confined to the north of the country. PREP. to Let's confine our attention to the problem of illegal drugs. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Thesaurus-11th Editionv. Function: verb 1 Synonyms: LIMIT 2, bar, circumscribe, delimit, delimitate, prelimit, restrict 2 Synonyms: IMPRISON, bastille, constrain, immure, incarcerate, intern, jail, jug, ||prison, ||quodv. Function: noun usuallyconfines plural1 Synonyms: ENVIRONS 1, bound(s), boundary, compass, limit(s), precinct(s), purlieus 2 Synonyms: LIMIT 1, bound, end, limitation, term Related Words: circumference, compass, periphery 3 Synonyms: RANGE 2, compass, dimension(s), extent, orbit, purview, radius, reach, scope, sweepWebster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridgedcon·fineI. \kənˈfīn\ verb(-ed/-ing/-s)Etymology: Middle French confiner to lie contiguous, restrain within limits, from confin, n., confineintransitive verbarchaic : to have a common boundary : lie contiguoustransitive verb: to hold within bounds : restrain from exceeding boundaries: a. : to keep in narrow quarters : imprison b. : to prevent free outward passage or motion of : secure, enclose, fasten < the loose cloud of hair was confined in two plaits — W.H.Hudson > < dikes confined the flood waters > c. : to keep from leaving accustomed quarters (as one's room or bed) under pressure of infirmity, childbirth, detention, business reasons < now that he was able to employ an assistant, he was not closely confined to the store — Ellen Glasgow > d. : to narrow down (range of possible interest, participation, expression) and exclude from embracing various matters possible : make applicable only to a limited group < for what reason was the Greek tragic poet confined to so limited a range of subjects — Matthew Arnold > < a rare luxury confined to princes and ministers — T.B.Macaulay > e. : to keep to a certain place or to a limited area : prevent unlimited incidence of < in confining the disease to Memphis — W.F.Willcox > < the buffalo was not confined to the open grassland — C.D.Forde >Synonyms: see limitII. \ˈkänˌfīn, in sense 5a usually kənˈf-\ noun(-s)Etymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French confin, from Latin confine, from neuter of confinis having the same boundary, adjacent, from com- + finis end, border — more at final1. usually plural : bounds, borders; especially : the mutual boundary with adjacent regions < betwixt the confines of night and day — John Dryden >2. usually plural : regions along or near a border : outlying parts < the Newtonian scheme does not banish God from the universe, but it pushes him to the confines — Times Literary Supplement >3. usually plural : constricting limits (as of an area of activity or operation) : scope < Darwin had not moved entirely within the confines of the thought of his generation — S.F.Mason > < lifts the story beyond a conventional confine — Times Literary Supplement >4. usually plural : enclosed or otherwise limited space or area :territory < the future of the city lies in the eastern corner of its confines — Springfield (Massachusetts) Daily News >5. a. archaic : restriction, confinement < the dungeon's grim confine — Robert Burns > b. obsolete : prison, dungeon < many confines, wards, and dungeons — Shakespeare >III. adjectiveEtymology: Middle French or Latin; Middle French confin, from Latin confinis adjacentobsolete : neighboring

Confine Confined Verb To The Synonyms From Plural