cellhouse

American  

[sel-hous] / ˈsɛlˌhaʊs /

noun

1. a prison building containing separate cells, each usually intended for one or two prisoners.

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Etymology

Origin of cellhouse

First recorded in 1930–35; cell + house

Example Sentences

Higher up on the island, outside the three-story cellhouse where some of the nation’s most incorrigible prisoners were once locked away in primitive cells, 10-year-old Melody Garcia, visiting with family from Concord, appeared equally perplexed.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2025

Later, staffing concerns forced the prison to shut down a cellhouse in El Dorado, he said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 24, 2017

Lansing saw a jump in outbound transfers in May as a medium-security cellhouse closed, also because of staffing issues, Arif said.

From Washington Times • Sep. 24, 2017

They were dragging him towards a door from the cellhouse into the adjacent hospital.

From Time Magazine Archive

The following are used interchangably:     today and to-day,     exconvict and ex-convict     cellhouse and cell-house     brokenhearted and broken-hearted Several unbalanced quotes were left as in the original.

From The Nation Behind Prison Bars by Herr, George L. (George Lewis)