ticket of leave

or ticket-of-leave

noun

, British.

, plural tickets of leave.

(formerly) a permit allowing a convict to leave prison, under certain restrictions, and go to work before having served a full term, somewhat similar to a certificate of parole.

ticket of leave

(formerly in Britain) a permit allowing a convict ( ticket-of-leave man ) to leave prison, after serving only part of his sentence, with certain restrictions placed on him

First recorded in 1725–35

The fellow is a ticket-of-leave man, and as likely as not in league with these scoundrels.

It is stated that almost all the men by whom these resorts of iniquity are kept, are either ticket-of-leave men or emancipists.

It was a degradation to you to go mates with a ticket-of-leave man.

I got my ticket-of-leave, and worked for myself, chiefly at bullock-driving.

"It's Natty Burke, the one-armed ticket-of-leave man," whispered Waters.

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