Arrest, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Arrested; p. pr. & vb. n. Arresting.]
Etymology: [OE. aresten, OF. arester, F. arrêter, fr. LL. arrestare; L. ad + restare to remain, stop; re + stare to stand. See Rest remainder.]
1. 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. Philips.
2. (Law)
To take, seize, or apprehend by authority of law; as, to arrest one for debt, or for a crime.
Note: After his word Shakespeare uses of ("I arrest thee of high treason") or on; the modern usage is for.
3 more senses
3. To seize on and fix; to hold; to catch; as, to arrest the eyes or attention. Buckminster.
4. To rest or fasten; to fix; to concentrate. [Obs.] We may arrest our thoughts upon the divine mercies. Jer. Taylor.
Syn. -- To obstruct; delay; detain; check; hinder; stop; apprehend; seize; lay hold of.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Arrest, v. i.
To tarry; to rest. [Obs.] Spenser.
Arrest, n.
1. The act of stopping, or restraining from further motion, etc.; stoppage; hindrance; restraint; as, an arrest of development. As the arrest of the air showeth. Bacon.
2. (Law)
The taking or apprehending of a person by authority of law; legal restraint; custody. Also, a decree, mandate, or warrant. William . . . ordered him to be put under arrest. Macaulay. [Our brother Norway] sends out arrests On Fortinbras; which he, in brief, obeys. Shak.
Note: An arrest may be made by seizing or touching the body; but it is sufficient in the party be within the power of the officer and submit to the arrest. In Admiralty law, and in old English practice, the term is applied to the seizure of property.
3. Any seizure by power, physical or moral. The sad stories of fire from heaven, the burning of his sheep, etc., . . . were sad arrests to his troubled spirit. Jer. Taylor.
4. (Far.)
A scurfiness of the back part of the hind leg of a horse; -- also named rat-tails. White. Arrest of judgment (Law), the staying or stopping of a judgment, after verdict, for legal cause. The motion for this purpose is called a motion in arrest of judgment.
Shades of meaning
The legal term arrest carries always the implication of a legal offense; this is true even of arresting for debt. But one may be detained by process of law when no offense is alleged against him, as in the case of a witness who is held in a house of detention till a case comes to trial. One may be restrained of his liberty without arrest, as in an insane asylum; an individual or corporation may be restrained by injunction from selling certain property. In case of an arrest, an officer may secure his prisoner by fetters, by a locked door, or other means effectually to prevent escape. Capture is commonly used of seizure by armed force; as, to capture a ship, a fort, etc. Compare hinder; obstruct.
Prepositions
Arrested for crime, on suspicion, by the sheriff; on, upon, or by virtue of a warrant; on final process; in execution.