quarantine

/ˈkwɔːrənˌtiːn/
nounIntermediate
🏥Medicine
Medical

A period of isolation to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.

Passengers arriving from affected regions were placed in quarantine for 14 days.

People who arrived from areas with outbreaks were required to stay isolated for two weeks.

💡

Often used in public health to control outbreaks.

⚖️Law
legal

A legal restriction on the movement of people or goods to prevent disease transmission.

The port authority enforced a quarantine on imported goods from the contaminated region.

The port officials required imported items from the affected area to be isolated.

💡

Used in international trade and travel regulations.

💻Technology
technical

In computing, a temporary restriction on software or files to prevent security risks.

The new app was placed in quarantine by the antivirus software.

The security program temporarily restricted the app to check for threats.

💡

Used in cybersecurity to isolate potentially harmful files.

Collocations

quarantine periodthe duration of isolationquarantine rulesregulations about isolationquarantine stationa place where people are isolated

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

self-quarantinephrase
voluntary isolation to prevent disease spread
quarantine fatiguephrase
mental exhaustion from prolonged isolation

💡Pro Tip

Usage in Context

Use 'quarantine' for both medical and legal isolation, but specify the context (e.g., 'medical quarantine' or 'legal quarantine').

Gold Rule

Avoid Overgeneralization

Do not use 'quarantine' for general restrictions unless they involve isolation for health reasons.

📖Word Origin

From Italian 'quaranta giorni' (40 days), referring to the 40-day isolation period for ships to prevent plague in the 14th century.

📝Usage Notes

Originally used for ships, now commonly applied to people and goods. Can also refer to digital security measures.

Word Breakdown

quar-
forty
prefix
+
-antine
against
suffix
English Dictionary