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Webster 1913 Edition

Confine

Con-fine′

(kŏn-fīn′)
,
Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Confined
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Confining
.]
[F.
confiner
to border upon, LL.
confinare
to set bounds to;
con-
+
finis
boundary, end. See
Final
,
Finish
.]
To restrain within limits; to restrict; to limit; to bound; to shut up; to inclose; to keep close.
Now let not nature’s hand
Keep the wild flood
confined
! let order die!
Shakespeare
He is to
confine
himself to the compass of numbers and the slavery of rhyme.
Dryden.
Syn. – To bound; limit; restrain; imprison; immure; inclose; circumscribe; restrict.

Con′fine

(? or [GREEK]); 277)
,
Verb.
I.
To have a common boundary; to border; to lie contiguous; to touch; – followed by on or with.
[Obs.]
Where your gloomy bounds
Confine
with heaven.
Milton.
Bewixt heaven and earth and skies there stands a place.
Confining
on all three.
Dryden.

Con′fine

,
Noun.
1.
Common boundary; border; limit; – used chiefly in the plural.
Events that came to pass within the
confines
of Judea.
Locke.
And now in little space
The
confines
met of empyrean heaven,
And of this world.
Milton.
On the
confines
of the city and the Temple.
Macaulay.
2.
Apartment; place of restraint; prison.
[Obs.]
Confines
, wards, and dungeons.
Shakespeare
The extravagant and erring spirit hies
To his
confine
.
Shakespeare

Webster 1828 Edition

Confine

CON'FINE

,
Noun.
[L., at the end or border, adjoining; a limit; end, border, limit. See Fine.] Border; edge; exterior part; the part of any territory which is at or near the end or extremity. It is used generally in the plural, and applied chiefly to the countries, territory, cities, rivers, &c. We say, the confines of France, or of Scotland, and figuratively, the confines of light, of death, or the grave; but never, the confines of a book, table or small piece of land.

CON'FINE

,
Adj.
Bordering on; lying on the border; adjacent; having a common boundary.

CON'FINE

,
Verb.
I.
To border on; to touch the limit; to be adjacent or contiguous, as one territory, kingdom or state to another; usually followed by on; sometimes by with. England confines on Scotland. Connecticut confines on Massachusets, New-York, Rhode Island and the sound.

Definition 2024

confine

confine

See also: confiné

English

Verb

confine ‎(third-person singular simple present confines, present participle confining, simple past and past participle confined)

  1. (transitive) To restrict; to keep within bounds; to shut or keep in a limited space or area.
    • Shakespeare
      Now let not nature's hand / Keep the wild flood confined! let order die!
    • Dryden
      He is to confine himself to the compass of numbers and the slavery of rhyme.
  2. To have a common boundary; to border; to lie contiguous; to touch; followed by on or with.
    • Milton
      Where your gloomy bounds / Confine with heaven
    • Dryden
      Betwixt heaven and earth and skies there stands a place / Confining on all three.

Translations

Noun

confine ‎(plural confines)

  1. Limit.

Translations

Synonyms

French

Pronunciation

Verb

confine

  1. first-person singular present indicative of confiner
  2. third-person singular present indicative of confiner
  3. first-person singular present subjunctive of confiner
  4. first-person singular present subjunctive of confiner
  5. second-person singular imperative of confiner

Italian

Etymology

From Latin confīnis.

Noun

confine m ‎(plural confini)

  1. border, frontier
  2. boundary

Related terms

Latin

Adjective

confīne

  1. nominative neuter singular of confīnis
  2. accusative neuter singular of confīnis
  3. vocative neuter singular of confīnis

Portuguese

Verb

confine

  1. first-person singular (eu) present subjunctive of confinar
  2. third-person singular (ele and ela, also used with você and others) present subjunctive of confinar
  3. third-person singular (você) affirmative imperative of confinar
  4. third-person singular (você) negative imperative of confinar

Spanish

Verb

confine

  1. Formal second-person singular (usted) imperative form of confinar.
  2. First-person singular (yo) present subjunctive form of confinar.
  3. Formal second-person singular (usted) present subjunctive form of confinar.
  4. Third-person singular (él, ella, also used with usted?) present subjunctive form of confinar.

Etymology

From Middle French confiner, from confins, from Medieval Latin confines, from Latin confinium, from Latin confīnis.

Pronunciation

  • (verb) enPR: kənfīnʹ, IPA(key): /kənˈfaɪn/
  • (noun)
  • Rhymes: -aɪn

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