confine Meaning, Definition & Usage

verb place limits on (extent or access)
throttle; bound; restrict; trammel; restrain; limit.
- restrict the use of this parking lot
- limit the time you can spend with your friends
verb restrict or confine, "I limit you to two visits to the pub a day"
circumscribe; limit.
verb prevent from leaving or from being removed
verb close in; darkness enclosed him"
hold in; enclose.
verb deprive of freedom; take into confinement
detain.
verb to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement
hold; restrain.
- This holds the local until the express passengers change trains
- About a dozen animals were held inside the stockade
- The illegal immigrants were held at a detention center
- The terrorists held the journalists for ransom

F. confiner to border upon, LL. confinare to set bounds to; con- + finis boundary, end. See Final, Finish.

imperfect & past participle Confined ; present participle & verbal noun Confining

To restrain within limits; to restrict; to limit; to bound; to shut up; to inclose; to keep close.
Now let not nature's hand Keep the wild flood confined! let order die! Shak.

He is to confine himself to the compass of numbers and the slavery of rhyme. Dryden.
Syn. -- To bound; limit; restrain; imprison; immure; inclose; circumscribe; restrict.

To have a common boundary; to border; to lie contiguous; to touch; -- followed by on or with. Obs.
Where your g;oomy bounds Confine with heaven. Milton.

Beywixt hezven and earth and skies there stands a place. Confuining on all three. Dryden.

Common boundary; border; limit; -- used chiefly in the plural.
Events that came to pass within the confines of Judea. Locke.

And now in little space The confines met of emryrean heaven, And of this world. Milton.

On the confines of the city and the Temple. Macaulay.
Apartment; place of restraint; prison. Obs.
Confines, wards, and dungeons. Shak.

The extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine. Shak.