Syn. -- To withhold; retain; stop; stay; arrest; check; retard; delay; hinder.
De*tain", n. Detention. [Obs.] Spenser.
De*tain"der (-dr), n. (Law) A writ. See Detinue.
De*tain"er (-r), n. 1. One who detains.
2. (Law) (a) The keeping possession of what belongs to another; detention of what is another's, even though the original taking may have been lawful. Forcible detainer is indictable at common law. (b) A writ authorizing the keeper of a prison to continue to keep a person in custody.
De*tain"ment (?), n. [Cf. OF. detenement.] Detention. [R.] Blackstone.
De*tect" (d*tkt"), a. [L. detectus, p. p. of detegere to uncover, detect; de + tegere to cover. See Tegument.] Detected. [Obs.] Fabyan.
De*tect" (d*tkt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Detected; p. pr. & vb. n. Detecting.] 1. To uncover; to discover; to find out; to bring to light; as, to detect a crime or a criminal; to detect a mistake in an account.
Plain good intention . . . is as easily discovered at the first view, as fraud is surely detected at last.
Burke.
Like following life through creatures you dissect,
You lose it in the moment you detect.
Pope.