IMMOBILISE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does immobilise mean? 

• IMMOBILISE (verb)
  The verb IMMOBILISE has 6 senses:

1. hold as reserve or withdraw from circulation; of capital

2. to hold fast or prevent from moving

3. make defenseless

4. convert (assets) into fixed capital

5. prohibit the conversion or use of (assets)

6. cause to be unable to move

  Familiarity information: IMMOBILISE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMMOBILISE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they immobilise    ... he / she / it immobilises   
Past simple: immobilised   
Past participle: immobilised   
-ing form: immobilising   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hold as reserve or withdraw from circulation; of capital

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Hypernyms (to "immobilise" is one way to...):

keep back; withhold (hold back; refuse to hand over or share)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 2

Meaning:

To hold fast or prevent from moving

Classified under:

Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize; pin; trap

Context example:

The child was pinned under the fallen tree

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

immobilisation (fixation (as by a plaster cast) of a body part in order to promote proper healing)

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make defenseless

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Hypernyms (to "immobilise" is one way to...):

beat; beat out; crush; shell; trounce; vanquish (come out better in a competition, race, or conflict)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Sense 4

Meaning:

Convert (assets) into fixed capital

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Hypernyms (to "immobilise" is one way to...):

convert (change in nature, purpose, or function; undergo a chemical change)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 5

Meaning:

Prohibit the conversion or use of (assets)

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

block; freeze; immobilise; immobilize

Context example:

Freeze the assets of this hostile government

Hypernyms (to "immobilise" is one way to...):

keep back; withhold (hold back; refuse to hand over or share)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

Sense 6

Meaning:

Cause to be unable to move

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Context example:

The sudden storm immobilized the traffic

Hypernyms (to "immobilise" is one way to...):

curb; curtail; cut back; restrict (place restrictions on)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "immobilise"):

paralyse; paralyze (cause to be paralyzed and immobile)

stun; stupefy (make senseless or dizzy by or as if by a blow)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Something ----s something

Derivation:

immobilisation (the act of limiting movement or making incapable of movement)

 Context examples 

An international team of researchers led by the University of Cambridge found that the addition of potassium iodide ‘healed’ the defects and immobilised ion movement, which to date have limited the efficiency of cheap perovskite solar cells.

(Potassium gives perovskite-based solar cells an efficiency boost, University of Cambridge)

Researchers from the University of São Paulo’s São Carlos Physics Institute, along with scientists from the University of California’s Department of Nanoengineering, in San Diego, immobilised the enzyme on an electrode coupled to a circuit with a constant flow of electrons, and then installed the device on the nose pad of the pair of glasses.

(Brazilian researchers eye biosensors to monitor diabetes, SciDev.Net)

The potassium iodide formed a ‘decorative’ layer on top of the perovskite which had the effect of ‘healing’ the traps so that the electrons could move more freely, as well as immobilising the ion movement, which makes the material more stable at the desired bandgap.

(Potassium gives perovskite-based solar cells an efficiency boost, University of Cambridge)