jail Hear it!

jail definition

jail (jāl)

noun

  1. a building for the confinement of people who are awaiting trial or who have been convicted of minor offenses
  2. imprisonment

Etymology: ME jaile, gaile < OFr jaole, gaole, a cage, prison < LL caveola, dim. of L cavea, cage

transitive verb

to put or keep in or as in jail

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Comments
Improve this definition.
Do you have more to add? Share your linguistic knowledge or observation.
/Register to save your comments.