jail en · NOUN
Pronunciation
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *ḱewh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-os Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *-ós Proto-Indo-European *ḱowh₁ós? Proto-Italic *kawos Latin cavus Proto-Indo-European *-éyos Proto-Italic *-ejos Proto-Italic *-eos Latin -eus Latin *caveus Latin cavea Proto-Indo-European *-lós Proto-Indo-European *-elós Proto-Italic *-elos Latin -ulus Latin -ola Late Latin caveola Anglo-Norman jaiolebor. Middle English gayole English jail Inherited from Middle English gayole, borrowed from Anglo-Norman jaiole, from Late Latin caveola, from Latin cavea (“cage”) + -ola (diminutive ending). Doublet of caveola and related to cage. More at cajole. Fully displaced native Middle English quartern (“prison, jail, cell”), from Old English cweartern (“jail, prison”). Partially displaced native Middle English lok, from Old English loc (“enclosure, pen; jail, prison”), whence lock; and Middle English carcern, from Old English carcern, from Latin carcer (“prison, jail”). Compare these Old English words, all meaning “jail”: heaþor, heolstorloca (means also “jail cell”), clūstorloc, dung (also “dungeon”), hlinræced, nirwþ, nīedcleofa, hearmloca, and nearu.
Meanings
-
(countable, uncountable) A place or institution for the confinement of persons held against their will in lawful custody or detention, especially (in US usage) a place where people are held for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
serve time in jail
released from jail
“I’m out!” That, of course, is an excerpt from Robert Durst’s children’s books [sic], Goodbye Jail. “Goodbye money. Goodbye bail. I killed them all, but goodbye jail. Of course! Of course!”
2015 June 7, “Bail”, in Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, season 2, episode 16, John Oliver (actor), via HBO:Taking a shower at the high school, Tommy (the Kitten) Cavanaugh kids Ugly Palmers. "Ugly, if you think the world is coming to an end," he says, "what are you wasting your time here at this jail for? You gonna need American history up there?"
1966, Robert Coover, “Part II, section 11”, in The Origin of the Brunists, 1st edition, page 218:She visited her brother in jail.
jail sentence
He was sent to jail for theft.
-
(uncountable) Confinement in a jail.
He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer.
2011 December 14, Steven Morris, “Devon woman jailed for 168 days for killing kitten in microwave”, in Guardian:
- (uncountable) The condition created by the requirement that a horse claimed in a claiming race not be run at another track for some period of time (usually 30 days).
- (countable, uncountable) In dodgeball and related games, the area where players who have been struck by the ball are confined.
- (uncountable, usually) A kind of sandbox for running a guest operating system instance.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| gaol | UK, alternative, dated | lexicographic | |
| jails | Number=Plur | lexicographic |
Coordinates
Deriveds
black jail · nonjail · jail cell · jailbreak · grippy sock jail · jailbreaker · jailhouse · jail-bait · jailbait · enjail · jail juice · under the jail · county jail · gay baby jail · jailor · jailful · jailer · Facebook jail · jail lock · jail-bird · jail bars · jail sentence · jailwards · get out of jail free card · jaildom · jail bird · horny jail · jail break · get-out-of-jail-free card · jail school · jail fever · jail purse · unjail · jailmate · jail fodder · superjail · jail bait · jail khana · jailless · jailkeeper · jailtime · jailward · movie jail · jailyard · phone jail · in jail · jaillike · jailish · jailbird · Jailtacht · air jail
Descendants
Hypernyms
correctional facility · correctional institution
Meronyms
detainee · corrections officer · convict · warden · wardress · ward · wall · trusty · chaplain · jailer · bar · death row · solitary confinement · con · criminal · solitary · prison matron · screw · turnkey · prison guard · cell · cellblock · gate · warder · yard · jailbird · inmate
Relateds
furlough · imprison · parole · chain gang · prisoner
Synonyms
glasshouse · jug · gulag · big house · Lefortovo · juvenile hall · house of detention · stalag · workhouse · up the river · Hanoi Hilton · iron house · porridge · lockup · calaboose · guardhouse · Leavenworth · prison · hole · jail · slammer · Maze · prison hulk · San Quentin · prison camp · pokey · pen · prison farm · detention centre · Dartmoor · bridewell · Bastille · Pelican Bay · remand center · correctional facility · Alcatraz · slammer · nick · hoosegow · prison ship · stir · hock · honor farm · tronk · penal colony · choky · stockade · can · Sing Sing · jailhouse · correctional institution · Tower · nigger university · roundhouse · borstal · clink · graybar hotel · brig · chokey · slam · hoosegow · dungeon · joint · queer ken · Folsom · penitentiary · Attica · gaol · crowbar hotel · Devil's Island · juvie
Translations (146)
ko 감옥 (place for short-term confinement) · tyv кара-бажың (place for short-term confinement) · kix ākhòujām (place for short-term confinement) · ur بندیگھر (place for short-term confinement) · hu börtön (confinement) · la carcer (place for short-term confinement) · gl prisión (place for short-term confinement) · hi कारागार (place for short-term confinement) · cy carchar (place for short-term confinement) · ja 監獄 (place for short-term confinement) · fi tyrmä (place for short-term confinement) · ar سِجْن (place for short-term confinement) · hu fogda (place for short-term confinement) · cmn 監獄 /监狱 (place for short-term confinement) · ro închisoare (place for short-term confinement) · pt cárcere (place for short-term confinement) · id kurungan (place for short-term confinement) · uk тюрма́ (place for short-term confinement) · mic laplesoon (place for short-term confinement) · sh тамница (place for short-term confinement) · gl trenla (place for short-term confinement) · uk в'язни́ця (place for short-term confinement) · io karcero (place for short-term confinement) · my အကျဉ်း (place for short-term confinement) · ms penjara (place for short-term confinement) · nl gevangenis (place for short-term confinement) · cy jael (place for short-term confinement) · es trena (place for short-term confinement) · sh затвор (place for short-term confinement) · fa زندان (place for short-term confinement) · el δεσμωτήριο (place for short-term confinement) · fa بندیخانه (place for short-term confinement) · ga carcair (place for short-term confinement) · es trullo (place for short-term confinement) · fi vankila (dodgeball: area for confinement) · so xabsi (place for short-term confinement) · la ferriterium (place for short-term confinement) · eu espetxe (place for short-term confinement) · sk väzenie (place for short-term confinement) · uli kaal’buus (place for short-term confinement) · fi vankila (place for short-term confinement) · id rumah tahanan (place for short-term confinement) · lo ຄຸກ (place for short-term confinement) · th คุก (place for short-term confinement) · ka ციხე (place for short-term confinement) · cho aboha kʋllo (place for short-term confinement) · af tronk (place for short-term confinement) · nv awáalya (place for short-term confinement) · ca presó (place for short-term confinement) · sq burg (place for short-term confinement) · ia prision (place for short-term confinement) · fr geôle (place for short-term confinement) · sl zapor (place for short-term confinement) · be турма́ (place for short-term confinement) · fi pidätys (confinement) · no fengsel (place for short-term confinement) · it carcere (place for short-term confinement) · el φυλακή (place for short-term confinement) · bo བཙོན་ཁང (place for short-term confinement) · ur کاراگار (place for short-term confinement) · txb prautke (place for short-term confinement) · ur قیدخانہ (place for short-term confinement) · tr hapishane (place for short-term confinement) · hy բանտ (place for short-term confinement) · he מַאֲסָר (place for short-term confinement) · da arresthus (place for short-term confinement) · es presidio (place for short-term confinement) · el φυλάκιση (confinement) · es penal (place for short-term confinement) · hu fogház (place for short-term confinement) · hi क़ैदख़ाना (place for short-term confinement) · fi poliisivankila (place for short-term confinement) · vi nhà tù (place for short-term confinement) · fr prison (place for short-term confinement) · yue 監倉 /监仓 (place for short-term confinement) · vi nhà tạm giam (place for short-term confinement) · pl więzienie (confinement) · fi putka (place for short-term confinement) · ang carcern (place for short-term confinement) · izh tyrmä (place for short-term confinement) · et vangla (place for short-term confinement) · ru тюрьма (place for short-term confinement) · sh zatvor (place for short-term confinement) · mn хар гэр (place for short-term confinement) · es chirona (place for short-term confinement) · bzj jayl (place for short-term confinement) · ro temniță (place for short-term confinement) · mww nkuaj (place for short-term confinement) · hu elzárás (confinement) · id bui (place for short-term confinement) · esu kantalaq (place for short-term confinement) · pdt Jefenkjniss (place for short-term confinement) · fi vankeus (confinement) · es chincha (place for short-term confinement) · it galera (place for short-term confinement) · cs vězení (place for short-term confinement) · id penjara (place for short-term confinement) · hi जेल (place for short-term confinement) · ang cweartern (place for short-term confinement) · tg зиндон (place for short-term confinement) · it prigione (place for short-term confinement) · hu börtönbüntetés (confinement) · he כֶּלֶא (place for short-term confinement) · mk апс (place for short-term confinement) · pdt Kjarkja (place for short-term confinement) · hu bebörtönzés (confinement) · gl cadea (place for short-term confinement) · sh tamnica (place for short-term confinement) · da arrest (place for short-term confinement) · de Gefängnis (place for short-term confinement) · tr hapis (place for short-term confinement) · hu szabadságvesztés (confinement) · ko 교도소 (place for short-term confinement) · es cárcel (place for short-term confinement) · pa ਜੇਲ੍ਹ (place for short-term confinement) · be астро́г (place for short-term confinement) · yoi 牢屋 (place for short-term confinement) · ro pușcărie (place for short-term confinement) · eo arestejo (place for short-term confinement) · az həbs (place for short-term confinement) · sv häkte (place for short-term confinement) · hi बन्दीघर (place for short-term confinement) · tl piitan (place for short-term confinement) · oj gibaakwa'odiiwigamig (place for short-term confinement) · it isolamento (confinement) · ur جیل (place for short-term confinement) · ia carcere (place for short-term confinement) · es peni (place for short-term confinement) · es chironda (place for short-term confinement) · bg апс (place for short-term confinement) · bg затво́р (place for short-term confinement) · km គុក (place for short-term confinement) · ka საპატიმრო (place for short-term confinement) · ota زندان (place for short-term confinement) · it gattabuia (place for short-term confinement) · es gayola (place for short-term confinement) · ar حَبْس (place for short-term confinement) · rsk гарешт (place for short-term confinement) · chr ᏗᏓᏍᏚᏗ (place for short-term confinement) · mk затвор (place for short-term confinement) · fa حبسخانه (place for short-term confinement) · ryu 牢屋 (place for short-term confinement) · pt cadeia (place for short-term confinement) · ka საპყრობილე (place for short-term confinement) · yi טורמע (place for short-term confinement) · ady хьэпс (place for short-term confinement)