[quar.an.tine] n [partly modif. of F quarantaine, fr. OF, fr. quarante forty, fr. L quadraginta, fr. quadra- (akin to quattuor four) + -ginta (akin to viginti twenty); partly modif. of It quarantena quarantine of a ship, fr. quaranta forty, fr. L quadraginta--more at four, vigesimal] (1609) 1: a period of 40 days
2. a: a term during which a ship arriving in port and suspected of carrying contagious disease is held in isolation from the shore b: a regulation placing a ship in quarantine c: a place where a ship is detained during quarantine 3 a: a restraint upon the activities or communication of persons or the transport of goods designed to prevent the spread of disease or pests b: a place in which those under quarantine are kept
4: a state of enforced isolation
[2]quarantine vb -tined ; -tin.ing vt (1804) 1: to detain in or exclude by quarantine
2: to isolate from normal relations or communication "~ an aggressor" ~ vi: to establish or declare a quarantine