immobilize: Meaning and Definition of

im•mo•bi•lize

Pronunciation: (i-mō'bu-līz"), [key]
— -lized, -liz•ing.
  1. to make immobile or immovable; fix in place.
  2. to prevent the use, activity, or movement of: The hurricane immobilized the airlines.
  3. to deprive of the capacity for mobilization: The troops were immobilized by the enemy.
  4. to prevent, restrict, or reduce normal movement in (the body, a limb, or a joint), as by a splint, cast, or prescribed bed rest.
  5. to render (an opponent's strategy) ineffective; stymie.
    1. to establish a monetary reserve by withdrawing (specie) from circulation.
    2. to create fixed capital in place of (circulating capital).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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