quarantine
Noun · VerbOpen English WordNet
Noun (2)
- enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of diseaseType of isolation
- isolation to prevent the spread of infectious diseaseType of isolation, closing off
What does it mean? Question 1 of today’s quiz
Webster's Dictionary (1913)
Origin: F. quarantaine, OF. quaranteine, fr. F. quarante forty, L. quadraginta, akin to quattuor four, and E. four: cf. It. quarantina, quarentine. See Four, and cf. Quadragesima.
1. A space of forty days; — used of Lent.
2. Specifically, the term, originally of forty days, during which a ship arriving in port, and suspected of being infected a malignant contagious disease, is obliged to forbear all intercourse with the shore; hence, such restraint or inhibition of intercourse; also, the place where infected or prohibited vessels are stationed.
☞ Quarantine is now applied also to any forced stoppage of travel or communication on account of malignant contagious disease, on land as well as by sea.
3. English law The period of forty days during which the widow had the privilege of remaining in the mansion house of which her husband died seized.
Quarantine flag, a yellow flag hoisted at the fore of a vessel or hung from a building, to give warning of an infectious disease; — called also the yellow jack, and yellow flag.
To compel to remain at a distance, or in a given place, without intercourse, when suspected of having contagious disease; to put under, or in, quarantine.
Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913), from GCIDE 0.54