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death house

American  

noun

  1. a building or part of a prison in which persons condemned to death await execution.


Etymology

Origin of death house

First recorded in 1915–20

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Enterprise published a photo showing dozens of morbid curiosity-seekers gathered outside the death house on Willowbrook, and countless other residents drove by the house to get a peek at it.

From Washington Times • Nov. 25, 2018

A big fan of Mondo Cane, he had been particularly struck by a scene that took place in a death house in China, where the sick and elderly were taken to spend their final days.

From The Guardian • Oct. 1, 2018

Mr. Phillips, 43, arrived at the so-called death house at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility on Tuesday morning, about 24 hours before the scheduled execution.

From New York Times • Jul. 26, 2017

On Saturday, Lewis was moved to the Greensville Correctional Center, site of Virginia's death house.

From Washington Post • Sep. 24, 2010

A few stared at the pale blue sky, the deep blue of the unbelievable expanse of water, and the death house that tossed on the waves in the distance.

From "Copper Sun" by Sharon M. Draper