# quarantine

/ˈkwɔɹənˌtin/ (US) · /kwˈɒɹɑːntˌiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/quarantine
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 2. a place of isolation

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

the actual building or area where people are kept while they are being checked for disease.

For teachers: a physical location, such as a lazaret or dedicated facility, where isolation is strictly enforced.

- The sailors were moved to a quarantine on the edge of the harbour for two weeks.
- Upon arrival, the crew was immediately escorted to the port's quarantine to ensure no foreign pathogens entered the local population.

### 3. digital isolation

noun · CEFR B2 · Technical

a safe area on a computer where a virus or dangerous file is kept so it cannot hurt the rest of the system.

For teachers: the isolation of a file, program, or network segment to prevent a detected threat from compromising the broader system.

- My antivirus software moved the suspicious file into quarantine.
- The system administrator placed the infected workstation in a digital quarantine to prevent the ransomware from spreading across the corporate server.

### 4. to isolate someone

verb · CEFR B2

to put someone or something into a separate place to stop a disease from spreading.

For teachers: to impose a period of isolation on a person, animal, or object to prevent the spread of infection.

- The government had to quarantine everyone who had been on the flight.
- Health officials decided to quarantine the entire apartment complex after three residents tested positive for the highly infectious strain.

### 5. to stay in isolation

verb · CEFR B2

to stay away from other people by choice or by law during an outbreak.

For teachers: to enter or remain in a state of isolation, often used intransitively to describe self-imposed measures.

- If you feel sick, you should quarantine at home for at least five days.
- During the peak of the epidemic, many citizens chose to quarantine voluntarily to protect vulnerable members of their families.

### 6. historical 40-day period

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a period of exactly forty days, originally used for religious or legal reasons.

For teachers: a period of forty days, historically referring to the duration of a widow's right to remain in her husband's house or a period of penance.

- In the old days, a widow was granted a quarantine of forty days in her late husband's home.
- The term originates from the Italian 'quaranta', referring to the forty-day quarantine period imposed on ships during the Black Death.

## Examples

- Health workers placed the infected travelers in medical quarantine.
- The government imposed a 14-day quarantine on all arrivals from the affected country to control the outbreak.
- In medieval Venice, ships arriving from plague-hit regions were required to undergo a 40-day quarantine in a secluded area before landing in the city.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.