en
detention
/dɪˈtɛnʃən/
Definition
1
The act of detaining or holding someone in custody, especially by legal authority.
2
A form of school punishment where a student is required to remain after classes, often for disciplinary reasons.
3
The state of being delayed or held back, such as in traffic or processing.
Examples
After doodling memes on his math test, Jake earned a detention that felt like an eternity in doodle purgatory.
The customs officer's detention of the suspiciously squeaky suitcase revealed nothing but a collection of rubber chickens.
In detention, Lisa negotiated with the teacher using her best puppy-dog eyes, turning punishment into an impromptu debate club.
The airport detention lounge was so dull, passengers started their own bingo game with the security announcements.