custody

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from Latin custōdia (“a keeping, watch, guard, prison”), from custōs (“a keeper, watchman, guard”). Doublet of custode.

1. The legal right to take care of something or somebody, especially children.

   “The court awarded custody to the child's father.”

   “The mother gained custody of the children.”

2. Temporary possession or care of somebody else's property.

   “I couldn't pay the bill and now my passport is in custody of the hotel management.”

3. The state of being imprisoned or detained, usually pending a trial.

   “He was mistreated while in police custody.”

   “Original petition for writ of habeas corpus to obtain release from custody under sentence to five years imprisonment for aiding coprisoners in endeavors to escape from jail.”

4. An area under the jurisdiction of a custos within the Order of Friars Minor.

   “The Custody of the Holy Land includes the monasteries of Bethlehem, Nazareth, and Jerusalem.”