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calaboose
[ kal-uh-boos, kal-uh-boos ]
/ ˈkæl əˌbus, ˌkæl əˈbus /
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noun Slang.
jail; prison; lockup.
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Origin of calaboose
An Americanism dating back to 1785–95; from Louisiana French calabouse, from Spanish calabozo “dungeon,” of obscure origin
Words nearby calaboose
Calabar bean, calabash, calabaza, calabazilla, calabogus, calaboose, calabrasella, calabrese, Calabria, Calabrian, caladium
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
How to use calaboose in a sentence
British Dictionary definitions for calaboose
calaboose
/ (ˈkæləˌbuːs) /
noun
US informal a prison; jail
Word Origin for calaboose
C18: from Creole French, from Spanish calabozo dungeon, of unknown origin
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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