transitive. To imprison, confine; to dam up (water). Obsolete.

To check, restrain, control. In Old English also: To rebuke. (In Old English the object is in the dative.) Obsolete.

To keep watch over, keep in charge, herd, ‘keep’ (sheep, etc.); to rule (men). Only in Old English and early Middle English Obsolete.

In various modified uses. figurative. To exclude, keep back, hinder, restrain. Now chiefly of circumstances, conditions, etc.: To constitute a…

to check.

transitive. To keep from doing something; to keep in check or under restraint; to hold back, restrain.

transitive. To check, restrain.

transitive. To contract, restrain.

transitive. To cause to slacken, to check.

transitive. To restrain, stay, still, calm.

To keep back, restrain (a person, his desires, etc.). Obsolete.

To moderate, to restrain; = attemper, v. 4.

transitive. To beat down or force back; to repulse (a person); to repress or check. Obsolete.

To check, refrain, withhold. Obsolete.

transitive. To restrain, hold back, or check (a person or thing). archaic and rare after 17th cent.

transitive. To curb, check, or stay (an action, proceeding, etc.); to assuage (an emotion) or repress (a quality) in another person. Obsolete.

transitive. To check, keep back, or control (a natural force or agent). Also in figurative contexts.

transitive. To check, restrain, hold back.

transitive. To restrain; to hold back, check, or stop; to prevent or hinder. Frequently with from.

transitive. To restrain, hinder.

transitive. To hold back, withhold; to restrain. Cf. ofhold, v.

transitive. To restrain, check, hold back; to prevent from doing something wrong or undesirable. Obsolete.

transitive. To check or repress (vice, a feeling, an intention, etc.); to restrain (a person). Now literary.

transitive. To constrain, to restrain.

To check by some repressive action.

transitive. To restrain or stop (a person) from action or physical advance; to keep back. Obsolete.

transitive. figurative. To put a check or restraint upon (something); to restrain from something. Now rare. Cf. to rein in 1 at phrasal verbs.

To restrain, check, hinder, prevent, stop. †Also with infinitive compl. (obsolete).

transitive. To restrain; to detain; to hold back forcibly; to retard the progress, advance, or growth of.

transitive. To restrain, check; to restrict.

transitive. To restrain, curb.

transitive. To render ‘lithe’, i.e. gentle or mild; to influence (a person) gently; to relax (fetters); to assuage, mitigate (grief, pain); to…

transitive. figurative. To keep under control, restrain. Also intransitive with reflexive meaning. Now rare.

(figurative from 3.) To stop (action, growth, exhibition of feeling, and the like); to stay the course of; to repress, restrain.

transitive. To restrain as with a bridle.

transitive. figurative. To keep under control, restrain.

transitive. To check or restrain (an emotion, action, etc.). Obsolete.

transitive. To check, restrain.

transitive. To keep back; to restrain; to reserve from disclosure; to retain.

To snub, check, repress. Now dialect.

To check, repress; to snub, reprove, chide.

transitive. To check (a hound) by a cord or leash; hence gen. to hold back, restrain, retard, encumber, hinder. Obsolete.

transitive. To cause to forbear, to restrain. With from. Obsolete.

transitive. To repress, restrain. Obsolete.

To rebuke or snub (a person, etc.) sharply or severely; to check, restrain, or curb (a child); to call off (a dog). Now dialect.

Nautical slang. Phrase to clap a guy on: to put a stop to; to ‘stow’.

transitive. To check (a person) in a course of action. Also reflexive.

transitive. colloquial (originally U.S.). To arrest (a person). Cf. sense 28a.

†(a) to constrict; (b) to restrain.