Confiner

con·fine  (kn-fn)

v. con·fined, con·fin·ing, con·fines

v.tr.

1. To keep within bounds; restrict: Please confine your remarks to the issues at hand. See Synonyms at limit.

2. To shut or keep in, especially to imprison.

3. To restrict in movement: The sick child was confined to bed.

v.intr. Archaic

To border.

n. (knfn)

1. confines

a. The limits of a space or area; the borders: within the confines of one county.

b. Restraining elements: wanted to escape the confines of corporate politics.

c. Purview; scope: a theory that is well within the confines of science.

2.

a. Archaic A restriction.

b. Obsolete A prison.

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[French confiner, from Old French, from confins, boundaries, ultimately from Latin cnfne, from neuter of cnfnis, adjoining : com-, com- + fnis, border.]

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con·fina·ble, con·finea·ble adj.

con·finer n.