impound — to officially seize and hold property, especially vehicles, in a secure place
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to officially seize and hold property, especially vehicles, in a secure place
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɪmˈpaʊnd/
Example Sentences
- My neighbor's car got impounded because he parked in front of a fire hydrant for three days straight.
- The customs office impounded the suspicious packages at the airport.
- She had to pay $200 to get her motorcycle back from the impound lot.
impound
VERB[/ɪmˈpaʊnd/]
to officially seize and hold property, especially vehicles, in a secure place

Officials seizing illegally parked car

Cars around the compound get impounded and surrounded!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word derives from Medieval Latin, originally meaning 'to shut up in an enclosure.' It developed from the practice of temporarily confining stray or lost animals in a pen until they could be claimed or identified.
Breakdown
im- (in, into) + pound (enclosure, pen, to confine). The 'pound' component refers to a secure enclosure used to hold animals.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My neighbor's car got impounded because he parked in front of a fire hydrant for three days straight.”
“The customs office impounded the suspicious packages at the airport.”
“She had to pay $200 to get her motorcycle back from the impound lot.”
“The city impounds about 50 abandoned bicycles every month from downtown.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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