IMMOBILIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does immobilize mean? 

• IMMOBILIZE (verb)
  The verb IMMOBILIZE 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: IMMOBILIZE used as a verb is common.

 Dictionary entry details 

• IMMOBILIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they immobilize    ... he / she / it immobilizes   
Past simple: immobilized   
Past participle: immobilized   
-ing form: immobilizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Hold as reserve or withdraw from circulation; of capital

Classified under:

Verbs of buying, selling, owning

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Hypernyms (to "immobilize" 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

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to immobilize his opponent

Derivation:

immobile (not capable of movement or of being moved)

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

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

Sense 3

Meaning:

Make defenseless

Classified under:

Verbs of fighting, athletic activities

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

Hypernyms (to "immobilize" 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

Sentence example:

The fighter managed to immobilize his opponent

Sense 4

Meaning:

Convert (assets) into fixed capital

Classified under:

Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc.

Synonyms:

immobilise; immobilize

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

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

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

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:

immobile (not capable of movement or of being moved)

immobilization; immobilizing (the act of limiting movement or making incapable of movement)

 Context examples 

A specimen that has been subjected to and immobilized by severe cold.

(Frozen Specimen, NCI Thesaurus)

A technique for analyzing or identifying proteins immobilized on a filter by complementary reaction with specific antibodies.

(Immunoblot Analysis, NCI Thesaurus)

Detection of RNA that has been electrophoretically separated and immobilized by blotting on nitrocellulose or other type of paper or nylon membrane.

(Northern Blotting, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

A procedure used to immobilize antigens or immunoglobulins on a device.

(Coating of Device with Immunologic Reagents, NCI Thesaurus)

If the material of interest is secreted in response to a particular stimulus, then the material will bind to a specific immobilized antibody.

(Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Spot Assay, NCI Thesaurus)

The act of immobilizing one or more detection agents to a solid-phase support for an in vitro diagnostic device.

(Coating of Solid Phase with Antigen, Antibody, or Nucleic Acid for in Vitro Diagnostics Device, NCI Thesaurus)

Affinity chromatography using monoclonal or polyclonal antibodies, or (less commonly) antigens, as the immobilized binding phase.

(Immunoaffinity Chromatography, NCI Thesaurus)

A type of antibody-excess, non-competition radioimmunometric assay in which ligand is sandwiched between an immobilized antibody on a solid phase and a radiolabeled antibody raised against a different epitope of the ligand.

(Immunoradiometric Assay, NCI Thesaurus)

In addition, it has been postulated that EGCG may trap growth factors such platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) on cell membranes, immobilizing growth factors on cell membranes and preventing ligand-receptor crosslinking and growth factor receptor activation.

(Defined Green Tea Catechin Extract, NCI Thesaurus)

A highly sensitive technique for detecting and measuring antigens or antibodies in a solution; the solution is run over a surface to which immobilized antibodies specific to the substance have been attached, and if the substance is present, it will bind to the antibody layer, and its presence is verified and visualized with an application of antibodies that have been tagged in some way.

(ELISA, NCI Thesaurus)