jail

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A place where people are locked up, especially while awaiting trial or for minor crimes.

   He spent three months in jail for theft.

2. 2
   verb

   To put someone in prison.

   The court jailed him for five years.

Common collocations

• county jail Adjective + noun
• avoid jail Verb + noun
• face jail Verb + noun
• leave jail Verb + noun
• overcrowded jail Adjective + noun

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”)…

Topics

External links

• Cambridge Dictionary
• Wiktionary
• Google Images