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confinement (n.)

1620s, "state of being confined; any restraint by force, necessity, or obstacle," from French confinement (16c.; the Old French word was confinacion), from confiner "to border; to shut up, enclose" (see confine).

As "restraint from going abroad by childbirth," perhaps a euphemism for childbed it dates from 1774 (the Middle English expression was Our Lady's bands). To be confined "be unable to leave the house or bed from sickness or childbirth" is attested from 1772.

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Definitions of confinement from WordNet

confinement (n.)
concluding state of pregnancy; from the onset of contractions to the birth of a child;
Synonyms: parturiency / labor / labour / lying-in / travail / childbed
confinement (n.)
the act of restraining of a person's liberty by confining them;
confinement (n.)
the state of being confined;
he was held in confinement
confinement (n.)
the act of keeping something within specified bounds (by force if necessary);
Synonyms: restriction
From wordnet.princeton.edu