DictionaryAI

jail

JAYL/d͡ʒeɪ(ə)l/

Pluraljails

Verbjails, jailing, jailed

UK spellinggaol · dated

6 meanings of jail

Practice

  1. 1
    place of custodynouncountable or uncountable
    A place where people are locked up by law, in the US often before trial or for small crimes.

    The police took him to jail after the robbery.

    The police drove him to the county jail downtown.

    UsageSay go to jail and in jail, with no the, as in go to school.

    Similarslammer, hoosegow, prison

  2. 2
    prison timenoununcountable
    The state of being kept locked up in a jail.

    He could face jail if he is found guilty.

    The judge said jail was the only fair punishment for what he did.

    UsageWe say face jail or avoid jail, with no a or the.

    Similarimprisonment, incarceration, custody, detention

    Oppositefreedom, liberty

    Note
  3. 3
    imprisonverbtransitive
    To put a person in a jail as a prisoner.

    The court will jail anyone who breaks this order.

    They jailed the thief for two years.

    UsageWe say someone was jailed for two years, or jailed for a crime.

    Similarimprison, incarcerate, detain, confine, intern

    Oppositerelease, free, liberate

Less common meanings

  1. 4
    dodgeballnouncountable or uncountable
    In dodgeball, the spot where players go after they are hit by the ball.

    When the ball hit her, she had to go to jail behind the line.

    You can leave jail if a teammate catches the ball.

  2. 5
    noun
    A separate, closed-off space on a computer where a program runs without reaching the rest of the system.
  3. 6
    noun
    In horse racing, a set time, usually 30 days, when a newly claimed horse may not race at another track.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of jail apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origin

It came through Old French from Latin words meaning a small cage or cell, and is related to "cage".

Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 3 facts