inhibit

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: in=hib=it

CIDE DICTIONARY

inhibit, v. t. [L. inhibitus, p. p. of inhibere; pref. in- in + habere to have, hold. See Habit.].

•  To check; to hold back; to restrain; to hinder.  [1913 Webster]

  "Their motions also are excited or inhibited . . . by the objects without them."  [1913 Webster]
•  To forbid; to prohibit; to interdict.  [1913 Webster]

  "All men were inhibited, by proclamation, at the dissolution, so much as to mention a Parliament."  [1913 Webster]

  "Burial may not be inhibited or denied to any one."  [1913 Webster]
•  To cause the rate of (a chemical or biochemical reaction) to proceed slower, or to halt; as, vitamin C inhibits oxidation; penicillins inhibit bacterial cell wall synthesis.  [PJC]
•  To restrain (a behavior) by a mechanism involving conscious or unconscious motivations.  [PJC]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

inhibit, v.tr. (inhibited, inhibiting)
1 hinder, restrain, or prevent (an action or progress).
2 (as inhibited adj.) subject to inhibition.
3 a (usu. foll. by from + verbal noun) forbid or prohibit (a person etc.). b (esp. in ecclesiastical law) forbid (an ecclesiastic) to exercise clerical functions.

Derivative

inhibitive adj. inhibitor n. inhibitory adj.

Etymology

L inhibere (as IN-(2), habere hold)

THESAURUS

inhibit

arrest, avert, ban, bar, bit, bottle up, box up, bridle, cage, check, cloister, confine, constrain, contain, control, cool, cool off, coop, coop in, coop up, cork up, countercheck, crib, curb, curtail, dam up, damp, dampen, debar, decelerate, delay, deny, detain, disallow, discourage, dompt, embargo, encage, enclose, enjoin, exclude, exclude from, fence in, forbid, frustrate, govern, guard, hem in, hinder, hold, hold at bay, hold back, hold down, hold fast, hold in, hold in check, hold in custody, hold in leash, hold in restraint, hold up, immure, impede, impound, intercept, interdict, interfere, interfere with, intermeddle, interrupt, intervene, keep, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep in custody, keep in detention, keep under, keep under control, lay under restraint, lock in, maintain, meddle, mew, mew up, obstruct, oppose, outlaw, pen, pen up, pound, preclude, preserve, prevent, prohibit, proscribe, pull, pull in, rail in, refuse, rein, rein in, reject, repress, resist, restrain, restrict, retain, retard, retrench, rule out, save, save up, say no to, scotch, seal up, set back, shackle, shut in, shut out, shut up, slacken, slow down, smother, snub, stifle, stop, straiten, sublimate, suppress, taboo, wall in, ward, withhold

ROGET THESAURUS

inhibit

Hindrance

VB hinder, impede, filibuster, impedite, embarrass, keep off, stave off, ward off, obviate, avert, antevert, turn aside, draw off, prevent, forefend, nip in the bud, retard, slacken, check, let, counteract, countercheck, preclude, debar, foreclose, estop, inhibit, shackle, restrict, obstruct, stop, stay, bar, bolt, lock, block, block up, choke off, belay, barricade, block the way, bar the way, stop the way, forelay, dam up, put on the brake, scotch the wheel, lock the wheel, put a spoke in the wheel, put a stop to, traverse, contravene, interrupt, intercept, oppose, hedge in, hedge round, cut off, inerclude, interpose, interfere, intermeddle, cramp, hamper, clog, clog the wheels, cumber, encumber, incumber, handicap, choke, saddle with, load with, overload, lay, lumber, trammel, tie one's hands, put to inconvenience, incommode, discommode, discompose, hustle, corner, drive into a corner, run foul of, fall foul of, cross the path of, break in upon, thwart, frustrate, disconcert, balk, foil, faze, feaze, feeze, baffle, snub, override, circumvent, defeat, spike guns, spoil, mar, clip the wings of, cripple, put an extinguisher on, damp, dishearten, discountenance, throw cold water on, spoil sport, lay a wet blanket, throw a wet blanket on, cut the ground from under one, take the wind out of one's sails, undermine, be in the way of, stand in the way of, act as a drag, hang like a millstone round one's neck.

Restraint

VB restrain, check, put under restraint, lay under restraint, enthral, enthrall, inthral, inthrall, bethral, bethrall, restrict, debar, constrain, coerce, curb, control, hold back, hold from, hold in, hold in check, hold within bounds, keep back, keep from, keep in, keep in check, keep within bounds, hold in leash, hold in leading strings, withhold, keep under, repress, suppress, smother, pull in, rein in, hold, hold fast, keep a tight hand on, prohibit, inhibit, cohibit, enchain, fasten, fetter, shackle, entrammel, bridle, muzzle, hopple, gag, pinion, manacle, handcuff, tie one's hands, hobble, bind hand and foot, swathe, swaddle, pin down, tether, picket, tie down, tie up, secure, forge fetters, disable, hamstring (incapacitate), confine, shut up, shut in, clap up, lock up, box up, mew up, bottle up, cork up, seal up, button up, hem in, bolt in, wall in, rail in, impound, pen, coop, inclose, cage, incage, encage, close the door upon, cloister, imprison, immure, incarcerate, entomb, clap under hatches, lay under hatches, put in irons, put in a strait-waistcoat, throw into prison, cast into prison, put into bilboes, arrest, take up, take charge of, take into custody, take prisoner, take captive, make prisoner, make captive, captivate, lead captive, lead into captivity, send to prison, commit to prison, commit, give in charge, give in custody, subjugate.

Prohibition

VB prohibit, inhibit, forbid, put one's veto upon, disallow, enjoin, ban, outlaw, taboo, proscribe, estop, bar, debar, forefend, keep in, keep within bounds, restrain, cohibit, withhold, limit, circumscribe, clip the wings of, restrict, interdict, taboo, put under an interdiction, place under an interdiction, put under the ban, place under the ban, proscribe, exclude, shut out, shut the door, bolt the door, show the door, warn off, dash the cup from one's lips, forbid the banns.