"to cause to stop," also "to detain legally," late 14c., from Old French arester "to stay, stop" (Modern French arrêter), from Vulgar Latin *arrestare (source of Italian arrestare, Spanish and Portuguese arrestar), from Latin ad- "to" (see ad-) + restare "to stop, remain behind, stay back" (see rest, n.2). Figurative sense of "to catch and hold" (the attention, etc.) is from 1814.

late 14c., from Anglo-French arest, Old French areste, from arester (see arrest, v.).