Simple English definitions for legal terms
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Quarantine means keeping someone or something away from others to stop the spread of a disease. It can be a person or an animal that is sick or might be carrying a disease. Quarantine can also be a place where people or animals are kept away from others. In the past, quarantine used to be for 40 days, especially for ships that might have dangerous diseases. It was also a special right for widows to stay in their husband's house for 40 days after he died. Nowadays, quarantine is enforced by the government to protect people's health.
Definition: Quarantine is the isolation of a person or animal who has a communicable disease or the prevention of such a person or animal from entering a particular area to stop the spread of the disease.
For example, if someone has COVID-19, they may be put in quarantine to prevent them from spreading the virus to others. Quarantine can also refer to a place where people or animals are isolated.
In the past, quarantine was also used to refer to a period of 40 days during which ships suspected of carrying a dangerous communicable disease were isolated to prevent the spread of the disease.
Another historical use of quarantine was to refer to the widow's privilege to remain in her husband's house for 40 days after his death while her dower was being assigned.
Overall, quarantine is a measure taken to prevent the spread of disease and protect public health.