From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishimmobilizeim‧mo‧bi‧lize (also immobilise British English) /ɪˈməʊbəlaɪz $ ɪˈmoʊ-/ verb [transitive] 1 NOT MOVINGto prevent someone or something from moving The broken limb must be immobilized immediately. She was immobilized with a broken leg.2 BREAKto stop something from working The car’s security device will immobilize the ignition system. —immobilization /ɪˌməʊbəlaɪˈzeɪʃən $ ɪˌmoʊbələ-/ noun [uncountable]→ See Verb table
Examples from the Corpus
immobilize• This argument is both diversionary and, at length, immobilizing.• For this he was relieved of his world title and, like Johnson, was involuntarily immobilized.• The virus has immobilized around 6,000 computers linked to the Internet.• Then he found himself immobilized for two weeks.• Doctors put on a cast to immobilize her ankle.• They are immobilized in almost every sense we can imagine.• Standing dumb and immobilized in Doyle's hands, Jinny felt the last grains of fight trickle out of her.• Another use for the sequestering agents is to immobilize metals that might cause difficulties in processing.• Immobilization of nitrogen occurs in both types in both sites but phosphorus is immobilized only in the fern litter.• Kingsley sat immobilized, only the muscles of his jaw pulsing.• Demonstrators immobilized tanks using gasoline bombs.• Kendrick had only a few minutes to immobilize the aircraft.From Longman Business Dictionaryimmobilizeim‧mo‧bi‧lize /ɪˈməʊbəlaɪzɪˈmoʊ-/ (also immobilise British English) verb [transitive]1FINANCE if a company immobilizes its capital, it uses it to buy CAPITAL GOODS (=machinery and equipment that is used to make other goods)2if something immobilizes an organization, machine etc, it prevents it from workingA miners’ strike has immobilised all power plants.→ See Verb table 