re|stor|er /r I stɔː rə r / (restorers ) N‑COUNT [oft n N ] A restorer is someone whose job it is to repair old buildings, paintings, and furniture so that they look like they did when they were new. □ …an antiques restorer.
re|strain /r I stre I n/ (restrains , restraining , restrained )
1 VERB If you restrain someone, you stop them from doing what they intended or wanted to do, usually by using your physical strength. □ [V n] Wally gripped my arm, partly to restrain me and partly to reassure me.
2 VERB If you restrain an emotion or you restrain yourself from doing something, you prevent yourself from showing that emotion or doing what you wanted or intended to do. □ [V n] She was unable to restrain her desperate anger. □ [V n + from ] She wanted to ask, 'Aren't you angry with him?' But she restrained herself from doing so.
3 VERB To restrain something that is growing or increasing means to prevent it from getting too large. □ [V n] The radical 500-day plan was very clear on how it intended to try to restrain inflation.
re|strained /r I stre I nd/
1 ADJ Someone who is restrained is very calm and unemotional. □ In the circumstances he felt he'd been very restrained.
2 ADJ If you describe someone's clothes or the decorations in a house as restrained , you mean that you like them because they are simple and not too brightly-coloured. [APPROVAL ] □ Her black suit was restrained and expensive.
re|strai n|ing o r|der (restraining orders ) N‑COUNT A restraining order is an order by a court of law that someone should stop doing something until a court decides whether they are legally allowed to continue doing it. [mainly AM , LEGAL ] □ His estranged wife had taken out a restraining order against him.
re|straint /r I stre I nt/ (restraints )
1 N‑VAR Restraints are rules or conditions that limit or restrict someone or something. □ [+ on ] The Prime Minister is calling for new restraints on trade unions.
2 N‑UNCOUNT Restraint is calm, controlled, and unemotional behaviour. □ They behaved with more restraint than I'd expected.
re|strict /r I str I kt/ (restricts , restricting , restricted )
1 VERB If you restrict something, you put a limit on it in order to reduce it or prevent it becoming too great. □ [V n] There is talk of restricting the number of students on campus. □ [V n + to ] …restricting imports to 0.6 billion pounds of sugar per year. ● re|stric|tion /r I str I kʃ ə n/ N‑UNCOUNT □ Some restriction on funding was necessary.
2 VERB To restrict the movement or actions of someone or something means to prevent them from moving or acting freely. □ [V n] The government imprisoned dissidents, forbade travel, and restricted the press. [Also V n from -ing] ● re|stric|tion N‑UNCOUNT □ [+ of ] …the justification for this restriction of individual liberty.
3 VERB If you restrict someone or their activities to one thing, they can only do, have, or deal with that thing. If you restrict them to one place, they cannot go anywhere else. □ [be V -ed + to ] For the first two weeks patients are restricted to the grounds. [Also V n + to ]
4 VERB If you restrict something to a particular group, only that group can do it or have it. If you restrict something to a particular place, it is allowed only in that place. □ [V n + to ] The hospital may restrict bookings to people living locally.
re|strict|ed /r I str I kt I d/
1 ADJ Something that is restricted is quite small or limited. □ …the monotony of a heavily restricted diet.
2 ADJ If something is restricted to a particular group, only members of that group have it. If it is restricted to a particular place, it exists only in that place. □ [+ to ] Discipline problems are by no means restricted to children in families dependent on benefits.
3 ADJ A restricted area is one that only people with special permission can enter. □ …a highly restricted area close to the old Khodinka airfield.
re|stric|tion ◆◇◇ /r I str I kʃ ə n/ (restrictions )
1 N‑COUNT A restriction is an official rule that limits what you can do or that limits the amount or size of something. □ [+ on ] …the lifting of restrictions on political parties and the news media.
2 N‑COUNT You can refer to anything that limits what you can do as a restriction . □ [+ of ] His parents are trying to make up to him for the restrictions of urban living.
3 → see also restrict SYNONYMS restriction NOUN 1
curb: He called for much stricter curbs on immigration.
limit: There is no limit to how much fresh fruit you can eat in a day.
controclass="underline" Critics question whether price controls would do any good.
constraint: Water shortages in the area will be the main constraint on development.
re|stric|tive /r I str I kt I v/ ADJ Something that is restrictive prevents people from doing what they want to do, or from moving freely. □ Britain is to adopt a more restrictive policy on arms sales.
re|stri c|tive pra c|tice (restrictive practices ) N‑COUNT [usu pl] Restrictive practices are ways in which people involved in an industry, trade, or profession protect their own interests, rather than having a system which is fair to the public, employers, and other workers. [BRIT , BUSINESS ] □ The Act was introduced to end restrictive practices in the docks.