1. (n.) An enforced isolation of a person or thing infected with a contagious disease--originally a period of forty days\.

2. (n.) Specifically, the term, originally of forty days, during which a ship arriving in port, and suspected of being infected a malignant contagious disease, is obliged to forbear all intercourse with the shore; hence, such restraint or inhibition of intercourse; also, the place where infected or prohibited vessels are stationed.

3. (n.) The period of forty days during which the widow had the privilege of remaining in the mansion house of which her husband died seized.

4. (v. t.) To compel to remain at a distance, or in a given place, without intercourse, when suspected of having contagious disease; to put under, or in, quarantine.

Jim Crow alien apartheid apartness beleaguer beleaguerment beset besetment besiege blockade blockading bolt bound box in cage chamber circumscription close in color bar compass confinement contain coop coop in coop up cordon cordon off cordon sanitaire cordoning cordoning off corral cull out detachment divide division encircle enclose enclosure encompass enshrine envelopment ethnocentrism exclusiveness fence in foreigner ghettoize gin hedge in hem in house in immurement impound imprison imprisonment incarcerate incarceration include inclusion insularity insulate insulation isolate isolation isolationism jail keep apart keep aside kennel know-nothingism lay aside leaguer mew mew up narrowness out-group outcast outsider parochialism pen pen in persona non grata pick out pocket privacy privatism privatization put aside quarantine flag race hatred racial segregation rail in recess reclusion retirement retreat riddle rope off rustication sanitary cordon screen seal off seclude seclusion secrecy segregate segregation separate separation sequestration set apart set aside shrine shut in shut up siege sieve sift snobbishness sort out splendid isolation stable stranger surround thrash thresh tightness wall in winnow withdrawal wrap xenophobia yard yard up yellow flag yellow jack