restrict (v.)

early 15c., restriccioun, "a cessation, the property of staunching bleeding," from Old French restriction (14c.) and directly from Late Latin restrictionem (nominative restrictio) "limitation," noun of action from past-participle stem of Latin restringere "restrict, bind fast, restrain," from re- "back" (see re-) + stringere "draw tight" (see strain (v.)). General sense of "that which restricts" is by early 15c. Meaning "act, process, or fact of restricting; state of being restricted" is from 1620s.

"limited, confined," 1830, past-participle adjective from restrict. Of government documents, etc., "secret, not for public release" it is recorded from 1944. Related: Restrictedly. The older adjective was simply restrict. In mid-20c. U.S., restricted was a euphemism for "off-limits to Jews" (1947).

Manager: "I'm sorry, Mr. Marx, but we can't let you use the pool; this country club is restricted."

Groucho: "Well, my daughter's only half-Jewish; could she go in up to her knees?" [there are many versions and variations of this story in print, some referencing a son instead, dating to his obituaries in 1977]