arrest (v.)

"to cause to stop," also "to detain legally," late 14c., from Old French arester "to stay, stop" (12c., Modern French arrêter), from Vulgar Latin *arrestare "to stop, restrain" (source also of Italian arrestare, Spanish and Portuguese arrestar), from ad "to" (see ad-) + Latin restare "to stop, remain behind, stay back," from re- "back" (see re-) + stare "to stand," from PIE root *sta- "to stand, make or be firm." Figurative sense of "to catch and hold" (the attention, etc.) is from 1814.

"act of stopping; state of being stopped," late 14c., from Anglo-French arest, Old French areste (n.) "stoppage, delay" (12c., Modern French arrêt), from arester "to stay, stop" (see arrest (v.)). Especially in law, "the taking of a person into custody, usually by warrant from authority, to answer an alleged or suspected crime" (early 15c.).