Dictionary

impound en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /ɪmˈpaʊ̯nd/
• (Southern-England) audio
• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˈɪmpaʊ̯nd/

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English im- English pound English impound From im- + pound.

Meanings

1. (countable, uncountable) A place in which impounded things are stored.
   • "You're gonna drive me to the impound so I can get my car?" 1997, Edward Bunker, Dog Eat Dog, page 36:
2. (uncountable) The state of being impounded.
   • I already checked that out, and Keller has never called to get it out of impound. 2010, Neal Locke, No Plan, page 161:
3. (countable, uncountable) That which has been impounded.
   • He handed the keys to the woman and pointed toward the corner of the lot where the impounds were stored. 2002, James E. Wollrab, Malfeasance, page 190:
4. (countable, uncountable) Amounts collected from a debtor and held by one with a security interest in property for payment of property taxes and insurance.

Forms

Relateds

escrow

impound en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪmˈpaʊ̯nd/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *né Proto-Indo-European *n̥- Proto-Italic *n̥- Latin in-bor. Middle English in- English im- English pound English impound From im- + pound.

Meanings

1. (transitive) To shut up or place in an enclosure called a pound.
   • His car was impounded after he parked it illegally.
   • Noveria Approach Control: Landing access granted, Normandy. Noveria Approach Control: Be advised: we will be confirming identification on arrival. If confirmation cannot be established, your vessel will be impounded. 2008, BioWare, Mass Effect, Redwood City: Electronic Arts, →ISBN, →OCLC, PC, scene: Noveria:
2. (transitive) To hold back.
   • water impounded by a dam
3. (transitive) To hold in the custody of a court or its delegate.
   • to impound a document for safekeeping.
   • The container thought to have belonged to Garweg was impounded by police and removed from the site by the Federal Agency for Protective Relief (THW) on Sunday and taken for further examination. 2024 March 4, Kate Connolly, “German prosecutors urge Red Army Faction suspects to surrender”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:
   • I particularly enjoyed the tale of the Folkestone tank engine, which, in October, 1886, was impounded by H. M. Customs after smuggled brandy was found concealed in its coal bunker; the tank spent over a month in a harbour siding under Customs seal and proceedings were seriously contemplated against the S.E.R., as well as against the crew, for the engine's part in the affair. 1963 September, “New Books: The Locomotives of the South Eastern Railway”, in Modern Railways, page 216:
   • to impound stray cattle
4. (transitive) To collect and hold (funds) for payment of property taxes and insurance on property in which one has a security interest.

Forms

Deriveds

impoundment · impoundable · impoundage · unimpounded · impounder

Translations (37)

ru конфискова́ть (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · cs vzít do soudní úschovy (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · de konfiszieren (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · es encerrar (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · cmn 蓄水 (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · ka ჩარაზმვა (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · cs zadržet (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · mi tōkiāri (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · sk konfiškovať (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · es requisar (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · ka კონფისკაცია (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · cmn 拘留 (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · nl confisqueren (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · ru запира́ть (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · fr confisquer (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · it requisire (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · cs obstavit (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · sk skonfiškovať (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · sk zhabať (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · lb beschlagnahmen (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · ru заточа́ть (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · de beschlagnahmen (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · nl in beslag nemen (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · ka ჩაკეტვა (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · cs zadržet (to hold back) · es confiscar (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · it sequestrare (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · es retener (to hold back) · mi taumanu (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · es incautar (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · mi tōkiāri (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · fi takavarikoida (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · mi pāuna (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · cs zabavit (to shut up or place in an inclosure called a pound) · cs zadržovat (to hold back) · es confiscar (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate) · ca confiscar (to hold in the custody of a court or its delegate)