calaboose

[ kal-uh-boos, kal-uh-boos ]
/ ˈkæl əˌbus, ˌkæl əˈbus /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR calaboose ON THESAURUS.COM

noun Slang.

jail; prison; lockup.

QUIZZES

CHALLENGE YOURSELF WITH THESE WORDS FROM "LITTLE WOMEN"

"Little Women" may be a classic, but that doesn't mean we all know the meanings of the vocab words from the book. Can you define these words correctly and make Jo proud?
Question 1 of 10
earnest
full seriousness, as of intention or purpose.
a feeling of dread, anxiety, or anguish.
urgent character; imperativeness; insistence; importunateness.
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Origin of calaboose

1785–95, Americanism; (< North American F) < 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. 2020

Words related to calaboose

penitentiary, cooler, pokey, prison, clink, slammer, hoosegow, brig, can, coop, jail, joint, tank, icebox, lockup

Example sentences from the Web for calaboose

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 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012