restrain

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To hold back or keep in check; control: couldn't restrain the tears.
2. v. To hold (a person) back; prevent: restrained them from going.
3. v. To deprive of freedom or liberty.
4. v. To limit or restrict.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To draw tight; strain.
2. To hold back; hold in; check; confine; hold from action or motion, either by physical or moral force, or by any interposing obstacle; hence, to repress or suppress: as, to restrain a horse by a bridle; to restrain men from crimes and trespasses by laws; to restrain, laughter.
3. To abridge; restrict; hinder from liberty of action.
4. To limit; confine; restrict in definition.
5. To withhold; forbear.
6. To forbid; prohibit.
7. Synonyms Restrain, Repress, Restrict; stop, withhold, curb, bridle, coerce. Restrain and repress are general words for holding or pressing back; restrict applies to holding back to a more definite degree: as, to restrain one's appetite; to restrict one's self in food or to a certain diet. That which we restrain we keep within limits; that which we restrict we keep within certain definite limits; that which we repress we try to put out of existence.

Wiktionary

1. v. transitive To control or keep in check.
2. v. transitive To deprive of liberty.
3. v. transitive To restrict or limit.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To draw back again; to hold back from acting, proceeding, or advancing, either by physical or moral force, or by any interposing obstacle; to repress or suppress; to keep down; to curb.
2. v. obsolete To draw back toghtly, as a rein.
3. v. To hinder from unlimited enjoiment; to abridge.
4. v. To limit; to confine; to restrict.
5. v. To withhold; to forbear.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. hold back
2. v. keep under control; keep in check
3. v. place limits on (extent or access)
4. v. to close within bounds, limit or hold back from movement
5. v. to compel or deter by or as if by threats