borstal en · NOUN
Etymology
Inherited from Middle English *borstile, *borghstile, from Old English beorh (“a hill”) + stigel (“a stile”). The institutions are named after Borstal Prison in Borstal, Rochester, Kent, England.
Meanings
- (UK) A way up a hill in the South Downs.
- (historical) Any of the prisons set up in Britain for delinquent boys from 1895 to 1983.
-
(Ireland, UK) Any institution which provides education to young offenders.
Seven years ago, I was sent to borstal. Slithering around in the societal sludge, I was forced to admit I'd made a huge mistake – committing robbery.
2011 November 7, Paris Lees, “My Transsexual Summer: a new view of gender”, in The Guardian:You have juvenile courts. Do you have borstal institutions for juveniles?
2004, August 3, Speaker of the Kenyan National Assembly, Kenya National Assembly Official Record, Hansard, page 3126
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| bostal | alternative | lexicographic | |
| borstals | Number=Plur | lexicographic |