Library / English Dictionary

GAOL

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

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)

Synonyms:

clink; gaol; jail; jailhouse; pokey; poky; slammer

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("gaol" is a kind of...):

correctional institution (a penal institution maintained by the government)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gaol"):

bastille (a jail or prison (especially one that is run in a tyrannical manner))

holding cell (a jail in a courthouse where accused persons can be confined during a trial)

hoosegow; hoosgow (slang for a jail)

house of correction ((formerly) a jail or other place of detention for persons convicted of minor offences)

lockup (jail in a local police station)

workhouse (a county jail that holds prisoners for periods up to 18 months)

Derivation:

gaol (lock up or confine, in or as in a jail)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

Lock up or confine, in or as in a jail

Example:

the murderer was incarcerated for the rest of his life

Synonyms:

gaol; immure; imprison; incarcerate; jail; jug; lag; put away; put behind bars; remand

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "gaol" is one way to...):

confine; detain (deprive of freedom; take into confinement)

Domain category:

jurisprudence; law (the collection of rules imposed by authority)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to gaol the prisoners

Derivation:

gaol (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))

gaoler (someone who guards prisoners)

Credits