Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention, especially persons awaiting trial under local jurisdiction.
- n. Detention in a jail.
- v. To detain in or as if in a jail.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A prison; a building or place for the confinement of persons arrested for crime or for debt; usually, in the United States, a place of confinement for minor offenses in a county.
- To confine in or as if in a jail; imprison.
Wiktionary
- n. A place for the confinement of persons held in lawful custody or detention, especially for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
- n. Confinement in a jail.
- n. school
- n. The requirements that a horse claimed in a claiming race not be run at another track for (usually) 30 days.
- v. To imprison.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A kind of prison; a building for the confinement of persons held in lawful custody, especially for minor offenses or with reference to some future judicial proceeding.
- v. To imprison.
WordNet 3.0
- v. lock up or confine, in or as in a jail
- n. a correctional institution used to detain persons who are in the lawful custody of the government (either accused persons awaiting trial or convicted persons serving a sentence)
Etymologies
- From Middle English jaiole (from Old French) and from Middle English gaiol, gaol (from Old North French gaiole), both from Vulgar Latin *gaviola, from Latin *caveola, diminutive of cavea, cage, hollow.
Examples
“Assuming all judicial systems around the world are basically right and that everyone in jail is supposed to be there, the United States of America (home of the brave and land of the free) is by far the most criminally-infested country in the world, followed only by Russia.”
“So putting two people in jail is a human rights violation, but her husband's actions, who caused about 100,000+ deaths, in Iraq is not?”
“The AG that should be in jail is the current AG and the POTUS for war crimes and crimes against humanity and trampling the Constitution.”
“Scott Norberg, (google his name) who died in jail, is an example.”
“Nicole True, Mr. Jimenez Ruano 's lawyer, said, "People forget that the way someone ends up in jail is based on a human being making a decision.”
“Whether or not I end up in jail is not the most pressing issue.”
Geert Wilders banned from the UK but here's what he would have said
“I speak from personal experience when I say that all most of them are concerned about when they are put in jail is getting out and getting on with THEIR lives.”
“Putting some of these low life in jail is very costly and they will only learn more ways of criminality.”
“After all, Jigsaw said "In the event of my disapearence, the evidence needed to put you in jail is in the right places.”
Saw V and Saw VI Updates - Plot, Director, and More! « FirstShowing.net
“Kate not being in jail is a good reason for an alternate time line theory?”
The Tail Section » Theory Time - Rite Aid Confirms Christian Shephard Alive
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘jail’.
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UK Usage - Find US Equivalent
All these terms have a (different) American English equivalent. Wonder if you can identify them?
abridgement (abri..., accoutrement, accoutre, acknowledgement (..., opposite, advert, adaptor, adapter, sticking plaster, advertise, adviser (advisor ..., adze, aesthete and 1196 more...
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Courtroom Speak
Legal glossary with special focus on courtroom vocabulary
writ of execution, writ of certiorari, witness, waiver, warrant, voir dire, victim witness as..., writ, victim compensati..., verdict, venue, victim advocate and 792 more...
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Society
social work, coverage, affiliate, social security, ambulance, clinic, health, insurance, emergency, mail, letter, envelope and 101 more...

oroboros Sounds like the letters J L. Oct 28, 2009