quarantine

 
Pronunciation: /ˈkwɒrəntiːn/

noun

[mass noun]
  • a state, period, or place of isolation in which people or animals that have arrived from elsewhere or been exposed to infectious or contagious disease are placed: many animals die in quarantine

verb

[with object]
  • put (a person or animal) in quarantine: I quarantine all new fish for one month they had to quarantine infected households

Origin:

mid 17th century: from Italian quarantina 'forty days', from quaranta 'forty'