arrest
In legal contexts, the word carries a heavy sense of finality and state-sponsored power. It is not merely about stopping someone, but about the formal transition from freedom to custody, often accompanied by a loss of autonomy and the start of a judicial process. When used in medical or technical settings, it describes a sudden, often catastrophic cessation of function. An arrest of a disease or a cardiac arrest implies a complete halt that requires urgent intervention to reverse, creating a feeling of critical urgency and stagnation.
Countable when referring to a specific police action (an arrest). Uncountable when referring to the general state of stopping a process (cardiac arrest).
Meanings
To seize by legal authority and take into custody.
"The police decided to arrest the suspect at the airport."
To stop or check the progress or movement of something.
"The new medication helped to arrest the spread of the infection."