Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense jails, present participle jailing, past tense, past participle jailedregional note: in BRIT, also use gaol
1. variable noun
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
Synonyms: prison, penitentiary [US], jailhouse [Southern US], penal institution More Synonyms of jail
2. verb [usually passive]
If someone is jailed, they are put into jail.
He was jailed for twenty years. [beVERB-ed]
Synonyms: imprison, confine, detain, lock up More Synonyms of jail
jail in British English
or gaol (dʒeɪl)
noun
1.
a place for the confinement of persons convicted and sentenced to imprisonment or of persons awaiting trial to whom bail is not granted
2. get out of jail
verb
3. (transitive)
to confine in prison
Derived forms
jailless (ˈjailless) or gaolless (ˈgaolless)
adjective
jail-like (ˈjail-like) or gaol-like (ˈgaol-like)
adjective
Word origin
C13: from Old French jaiole cage, from Vulgar Latin caveola (unattested), from Latin cavea enclosure; see cage: the two spellings derive from the forms of the word that developed in two differentareas of France, and the spelling gaol represents a pronunciation in use until the 17th century
jail in American English
(dʒeɪl)
noun
1.
a building for the confinement of people who are awaiting trial or who have beenconvicted of minor offenses
2.
imprisonment
verb transitive
3.
to put or keep in or as in jail
Word origin
ME jaile, gaile < OFr jaole, gaole, a cage, prison < LL caveola, dim. of L cavea, cage
More idioms containing
jail
get out of jail
COBUILD Collocations
jail
avoid jail
be spared jail
dodge jail
notorious jail
open jail
Examples of 'jail' in a sentence
jail
If it had happened today there would be a lot of people in jail.
The Sun (2016)
They avoided jail but know that another conviction could land them behind bars.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Three people were jailed in the summer over a scam involving drugging sick and potentially dangerous horses and selling them.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
His attacker was jailed for life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
He could be jailed for life.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The knifeman was jailed for 18 months.
The Sun (2016)
Up to 10,000 prison officers took part in a walkout in protest at increased violence in jails.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
But this week he was jailed for just 16 months for unlawful wounding.
The Sun (2016)
He was jailed for ten weeks but told he will be out in five.
The Sun (2014)
York faces life in jail if convicted.
The Sun (2006)
All we do as a society is to appease our anger by putting people in jail.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
The report also found the majority of serial repeat offenders are avoiding jail.
The Sun (2014)
Three people are already in jail awaiting trial.
The Sun (2012)
The second wedding took place in a jail chapel.
The Sun (2008)
The player spent a week in jail before being bailed two weeks ago.
The Sun (2008)
He was sentenced to life in jail.
The Sun (2015)
He avoided jail because it could not be proved that he intended to sell it.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The resulting argument ended in fisticuffs and both men were jailed pending a trial.
Tibballs, Geoff Great Sporting Failures (1993)
Ministers say the new plans will deliver extra jail places faster than buying a prison ship.
The Sun (2009)
Two people have been jailed for an unprovoked acid attack on a motorist that left him with serious burns.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
By design or not, he got arrested and was sentenced to six weeks in jail.
Stewart Lamont WHEN SCOTLAND RULED THE WORLD: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativityand Exploration (2002)
He was jailed for 40 months after admitting fraud and theft.
The Sun (2014)
Quotations
Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200.Charles Brace DarrowInstructions for Monopoly
In other languages
jail
British English: jail /dʒeɪl/ NOUN
A jail is a building where criminals are kept in order to punish them.
He spent six months in jail.
American English: jail
Arabic: سِجْنٌ
Brazilian Portuguese: cadeia
Chinese: 监狱
Croatian: zatvor
Czech: vězení
Danish: fængsel
Dutch: gevangenis
European Spanish: cárcel
Finnish: vankila
French: prison
German: Gefängnis
Greek: φυλακή
Italian: prigione
Japanese: 刑務所
Korean: 감옥
Norwegian: fengsel
Polish: więzienie
European Portuguese: cadeia
Romanian: închisoare
Russian: тюрьма
Latin American Spanish: cárcel
Swedish: fängelse
Thai: คุก
Turkish: hapishane
Ukrainian: в'язниця
Vietnamese: nhà tù
British English: jail /dʒeɪl/ VERB
If someone is jailed, they are put in jail.
He was jailed for twenty years.
American English: jail
Arabic: يَسْجُنُ
Brazilian Portuguese: encarcerar
Chinese: 监禁
Croatian: zatvoriti
Czech: uvěznit
Danish: fængsle
Dutch: gevangen zetten
European Spanish: encarcelar
Finnish: laittaa vankilaan
French: incarcérer
German: einsperren
Greek: φυλακίζω
Italian: detenere
Japanese: 投獄する
Korean: 투옥하다
Norwegian: fengsle
Polish: uwięzić
European Portuguese: encarcerar
Romanian: a fi băgat la închisoare
Russian: заключать в тюрьму
Latin American Spanish: encarcelar
Swedish: sätta i fängelse
Thai: เอาเข้าคุก
Turkish: hapse atmak
Ukrainian: ув'язнювати
Vietnamese: bỏ tù
All related terms of 'jail'
jail cell
a small room in a jail where a prisoner is kept
jail term
a term of imprisonment imposed by a court
open jail
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
avoid jail
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
county jail
the prison of a particular county
dodge jail
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
jail fever
a former name for typhus , once a common disease in jails
jail delivery
forcible and illegal liberation of prisoners from jail
jail sentence
a term of imprisonment imposed by a court
jail population
If you refer to a particular type of population in a country or area, you are referring to all the people or animals of that type there.
notorious jail
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
be spared jail
A jail is a place where criminals are kept in order to punish them, or where people waiting to be tried are kept.
get out of jail
to narrowly succeed in avoiding defeat or a difficult situation
Chinese translation of 'jail'
jail
(dʒeɪl)
n(c/u)
监(監)狱(獄) (jiānyù) (个(個), gè)
vt
监(監)禁 (jiānjìn)
in jail在监(監)狱(獄) (zài jiānyù)
⇒ He was sentenced to two years in jail.他被判两年监禁。 (Tā bèi pàn liǎng nián jiānjìn.)
to go to jail入狱(獄) (rùyù)
(noun)
Definition
a prison
Three prisoners escaped from a jail.
Synonyms
prison
They released him from prison in 1990.
penitentiary (US)
jailhouse (Southern US)
penal institution
can (slang)
inside
cooler (slang)
confinement
dungeon
the ceiling of the tiny dungeon
clink (slang)
glasshouse (military, informal)
brig mainly US)
borstal
calaboose (US, informal)
choky (slang)
pound
nick (British, slang)
He spent a few years in the nick for smuggling.
stir (slang)
jug (slang)
slammer (slang)
lockup
reformatory
quod (slang)
poky or pokey (US, Canadian, slang)
boob (Australian, slang)
(verb)
Definition
to confine in prison
He was jailed for twenty years.
Synonyms
imprison
He was imprisoned for 18 months on charges of anti-state agitation.
confine
He has been confined to his barracks.
detain
He was arrested and detained for questioning.
lock up
constrain
put away
intern
He was interned as an enemy at the outbreak of the war.
incarcerate
The general was incarcerated for life.
send down
send to prison
impound
put under lock and key
immure
Quotation
Go to jail. Go directly to jail. Do not pass go. Do not collect $200. [Charles Brace Darrow – Instructions for Monopoly]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of confine
Definition
to keep within bounds
He has been confined to his barracks.
Synonyms
imprison,
enclose,
shut up,
intern,
incarcerate,
circumscribe,
hem in,
immure (archaic),
keep,
cage
in the sense of detain
Definition
to force (someone) to stay
He was arrested and detained for questioning.
Synonyms
hold,
arrest,
confine,
restrain,
imprison,
intern,
take prisoner,
take into custody,
hold in custody
in the sense of dungeon
Definition
a prison cell, often underground
the ceiling of the tiny dungeon
Synonyms
prison,
cell,
cage,
vault,
lockup,
oubliette,
calaboose (US, informal),
donjon,
boob (Australian, slang)
Synonyms of 'jail'
jail
Explore 'jail' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of incarcerate
Definition
to confine or imprison
The general was incarcerated for life.
Synonyms
imprison,
confine,
detain,
lock up,
restrict,
restrain,
intern,
send down (British),
impound,
coop up,
throw in jail,
put under lock and key,
immure (archaic),
jail or gaol
in the sense of intern
Definition
to imprison, esp. during wartime
He was interned as an enemy at the outbreak of the war.