See Also: quarantine(dictionary)
quarantine(medicine)
Quarantine(health)
quarantine(encyclopedia)
quarantine 2, verb(dictionary)
quarantine period(medicine)
quarantine 1, noun(dictionary)
Quarantine - Horse Racing(gambling)
Quarantine Flag - Sailing(gambling)
QUARANTINE, commerce, crim(law)

quarantine (iou)



quarantine noun & verb. In senses A.1, 3 also quarentine. E16.
[medieval Latin quarantena, quadrantena ult. from Latin quadraginta forty, or (sense 2) from Italian quarantina, from quaranta forty.]
A. noun.
Law (now Hist.). A period of forty days in which a widow, entitled to a dower, had the right to remain in her deceased husband's chief dwelling; such a right. E16.
A period of isolation, orig. of forty days, imposed on a person, animal, or thing that might otherwise spread a contagious disease, esp. on one that has just arrived from overseas etc. or has been exposed to infection; the fact or practice of isolating someone or something or of being isolated in this way. Freq. in in quarantine. M17.
P. Pearce He was in quarantine for measles. A. Koestler Plague broke out, and the strict quarantine made communications between Rome and Florence difficult. Scientific American The lunar samples were placed in quarantine for seven weeks. attrib.: T. Heald All dogs coming into Britain had to spend six weeks in quarantine kennels.
b. fig. Any comparable period, instance, or state of isolation or detention; esp. a blockade, boycott, or severance of diplomatic relations intended to isolate a nation. L17.
New York Herald Tribune President Roosevelt..advocated instead a collective 'quarantine' of aggressor nations. W. Garner Putting him in emotional quarantine.
c. A place where quarantine is kept or enforced. M19.
R. L. Stevenson Somnolent Inverkeithing, once the quarantine of Leith.
gen. A period of forty days. rare. M17.
Comb.: quarantine flag a yellow flag used in signalling the presence of disease on a ship.
b. verb trans. Put in quarantine; isolate by the imposition of quarantine. E19.
J. Wyndham Coker quarantined them at the first symptoms. fig.: J. Viorst We quarantine our anger, afraid our hateful feelings will wipe out those we cherish.
quarantinable adjective subject or liable to quarantine M19.