jail

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a place used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government

   If you break the law, you might find yourself in jail.

2. 2
   verb

   to confine lawfully, in or as in a jail

   They were jailed after their conviction.

3. 3
   noun

   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

4. 4
   noun

   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.

5. 5
   verb

   To imprison.

   It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits.

6. 6
   noun

   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).

7. 7
   noun

   In dodgeball and related games, the area where players who have been struck by the ball are confined.

8. 8
   noun

   A kind of sandbox for running a guest operating system instance.

Etymology

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”)…