jail

Meaning

Noun

1. (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.
2. (uncountable) Confinement in a jail.
3. (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).
4. (countable, uncountable) In dodgeball and related games, the area where players who have been struck by the ball are confined.
5. (uncountable, usually) A kind of sandbox for running a guest operating system instance.

Verb

To imprison.

Synonyms

prison

gaol

imprison

penitentiary

incarcerate

cell

slammer

bastille

confine

bagnio

cage

jailhouse

pogy

pogie

bastile

limbo

pogey

clink

lockup

put in prison

lock up

prisonhouse

dungeon

lock-up

poky

pokey

detain

jug

stockade

prison cell

quod

goal

stir

immure

calaboose

remand

put away

house of correction

brig

incarceration

put behind bars

cooler

be jailed

coop

lag

nick

put prison

reformatory

gaol

apprehend

Translations

prison

cárcel

Gefängnis

prigione

carcere

gevangenis

prisão

prisión

cadeia

Kerker

carcer

cárcere

kerker

geôle

Pronounced as (IPA)

/d͡ʒeɪ(ə)l/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: gayole

In summary

From Middle English gayole, gaylle, gaille, gayle, gaile, from Old French gaiole, gayolle, gaole, from Medieval Latin gabiola, from Late Latin caveola (“small cage, cell”), a diminutive of Latin cavea (“cavity, coop, cage”). 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.

Sentences

The jail is now known as Grafton Correctional Centre .