custody

custody
    n 1: a state of being confined (usually for a short time); "his
         detention was politically motivated"; "the prisoner is on
         hold"; "he is in the custody of police" [syn: {detention},
         {detainment}, {hold}, {custody}]
    2: holding by the police; "the suspect is in custody"
    3: (with `in') guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the
       right to house and care for and discipline a child; "my fate
       is in your hands"; "too much power in the president's hands";
       "your guests are now in my custody"; "the mother was awarded
       custody of the children" [syn: {hands}, {custody}]
    

Custody \Cus"to*dy\ (k?s"t?-d?), n. [L. custodia, fr. custos
   guard; prob. akin to Gr. ?????? to hide, and E. hide. Seee
   {Hide} to cover.]
   1. A keeping or guarding; care, watch, inspection, for
      keeping, preservation, or security.
      [1913 Webster]

            A fleet of thirty ships for the custody of the
            narrow seas.                          --Bacon.
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   2. Judicial or penal safe-keeping.
      [1913 Webster]

            Jailer, take him to thy custody.      --Shak.
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   3. State of being guarded and watched to prevent escape;
      restraint of liberty; confinement; imprisonment.
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            What pease will be given
            To us enslaved, but custody severe,
            And stripes and arbitrary punishment? --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]
    

CUSTODY. The detainer of a person by virtue of a lawful authority. To be in 
custody, is to be lawfully detained under arrest. Vide 14 Vin. Ab. 359; 3 
Chit. Pr. 355. In another sense, custody signifies having the care and 
possession of a thing; as, the chancellor is entitled to the custody as the 
keeper of the seal. 
    

94 Moby Thesaurus words for "custody":
      administration, auspices, captainship, care, chairmanship, charge,
      cold storage, confinement, conservation, convenership, cure,
      custodianship, dead storage, detention, dictatorship, directorate,
      directorship, dry storage, eagle eye, foremanship, generalship,
      governance, government, governorship, guard, guardedness,
      guardianship, guarding, guidance, hands, headship, hold,
      imprisonment, incarceration, intendancy, invigilation,
      jurisdiction, keep, keeping, leadership, lookout, management,
      managership, mastership, ministry, monitoring, observance,
      overseership, oversight, pastorage, pastorate, pastorship,
      patronage, peeled eye, preservation, presidency,
      preventive custody, proctoring, proctorship, protection,
      protective custody, protectorship, prudence, qui vive, safe hands,
      safekeeping, sharp eye, shelf-room, sovereignty, stewardship,
      storage, storage space, stowage, superintendence, superintendency,
      supervision, supervisorship, surveillance, trust, tutelage, vigil,
      vigilance, ward, wardenship, wardship, warehousing, wariness,
      watch, watch and ward, watchful eye, watchfulness, watching,
      weather eye, wing