Now updated for CSW19. New words, if any, and new inflections of existing words, are shown in red.
barracoon | an enclosure or barrack formerly used for temporary confinement of slaves or convicts. |
borstal borstall | an establishment for the detention of young adult delinquents. |
bridewell | a house of correction, a jail. |
bullpen | a pen for a bull; a similar enclosure for prisoners. |
calaboose | a prison, jail. [Sp. calabozo, dungeon]. |
carceral | of or relating to prisons. |
cellblock | a group of prison cells. |
chokey choky | (coll.) a prison. CHOKY is also an adjective: tending to choke or suffocate > CHOKIER, CHOKIEST. |
clink | (coll.) prison. |
cooler | (coll.) a prison. |
coprisoner | a fellow-prisoner. |
disprison | to let loose from prison, to set at liberty. |
dungeon | an undergroud prison; (verb) to confine in a dungeon. |
dungeoner | a gaoler. |
durance | imprisonment. |
endungeon | to shut up in a dungeon. |
engaol | to put in gaol. |
gaol | a prison; (verb) to put in gaol. |
gaolbreak | an escape from gaol; (verb) to escape from gaol > GAOLBREAKING, GAOLBROKE, GAOLBROKEN. |
gaolless | without a gaol. |
glasshouse | a military detention barracks. |
guardhouse | a building for the accommodation of a military guard, and where prisoners are confined. |
guardroom | a room having the same function as a guardhouse. |
gulag | the system of political prisons and forced labour camps in the USSR. |
hoosegow hoosgow | (US sl.) a prison, jail. [Sp. juzgado, judgment]. |
imprison | to confine in a prison. |
imprisonment | the act of imprisoning. |
incarcerate | to put in prison. |
intern | to confine esp. during a war. |
jail | a prison; (verb) to put in jail. |
jailable | as in a jailable offence. |
jailbreak | an escape from jail; (verb) to escape from jail > JAILBREAKING, JAILBROKE, JAILBROKEN. |
jailbreaker | one who escapes from jail.. |
jailhouse | a prison. |
jailless | without a jail. |
juvie | a juvenile detention centre. |
katorga | penal servitude, hard labour, esp. in the labour camps of Stalin. |
laogai | in China, a forced labour camp > LAOGAIS. [LAOdong GAIzao, labor + reform]. |
lockdown | confinement of prisoners to their cells all day. |
lockup | a cell for locking up prisoners. |
massymore | a subterranean prison. |
oflag | a German prison camp for officers. |
oubliette | a dungeon with an opening only at the top. |
panopticon | a prison in which all prisoners can be watched from one point. |
penitentiary | in N. American, a prison. |
pokey poky | (coll.) jail. POKY is also an adjective: cramped: POKIER, POKIEST; POKILY. |
postprison | after release from prison. |
prison | a place of confinement; (verb) to imprison. |
prisoner | one that is imprisoned. |
prisonment | (Shakesp.) imprisonment. |
prisonous | (Dickens) of or like a prison. |
quad quod | (coll.) prison; (verb) to imprison. |
reformatory | a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation. |
roundhouse | a constable's prison; a lockup, watch-house, or station house. |
slammer | (coll.) prison. |
stalag | a German camp for prisoners of war. |
stir | (coll.) prison. |
supermax | denoting the highest level of jail security. |
sweatbox | a narrow box or cell in which a prisoner is placed for punishment. |
tolbooth tollbooth | in Scotland, a town hall, a prison. |
tronk | (S. Afr.) jail. |
unprison | to take or deliver from prison. |