QUARANTINE
quarantine
(noun) isolation to prevent the spread of infectious disease
quarantine
(noun) enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of disease
quarantine
(verb) place into enforced isolation, as for medical reasons; “My dog was quarantined before he could live in England”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology 1
Noun
quarantine (plural quarantines)
The desert in which Christ fasted for 40 days according to the Bible.
A grace period of 40 days during which a widow has the right to remain in her dead husband's home, regardless of the inheritance.
Etymology 2
Noun
quarantine (countable and uncountable, plural quarantines)
A sanitary measure to prevent the spread of a contagious plague by isolating those believed or feared to be infected.
Such official detention of a ship at or off port due to suspicion that it may be carrying a contagious disease aboard.
A certain place for isolating persons suspected of suffering from a contagious disease.
A certain period of time during which a person is isolated to determine whether they've been infected with a contagious disease.
(by extension) Any rigorous measure of isolation, regardless of the reason.
A record system kept by port health authorities in order to monitor and prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
(computing) A place where email messages or other files which are suspected of harboring a computer virus are stored.
Verb
quarantine (third-person singular simple present quarantines, present participle quarantining, simple past and past participle quarantined)
To retain in obligatory isolation or separation, as a sanitary measure to prevent the spread of contagious disease.
To put in isolation as if by quarantine
Source: Wiktionary
Quar"an*tine, n. Etym: [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.
Note: 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. (Eng. Law)
Definition: 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.
Quar`an*tine", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Quarantined; p. pr. & vb. n.
Quarantining.]
Definition: 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.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition