- arrest (v.)
- "to cause to stop," also "to detain legally," late 14c., from Old French arester "to stay, stop" (Modern French arrêter), from Vulgar Latin *arrestare (source also of Italian arrestare, Spanish and Portuguese arrestar), from ad- "to" (see ad-) + Latin restare "to stop, remain behind, stay back" (see rest (n.2)). Figurative sense of "to catch and hold" (the attention, etc.) is from 1814.
- arrest (n.)
- late 14c., from Anglo-French arest, Old French areste (n.), from arester "to stay, stop" (see arrest (v.)).
