death row

American  

noun

death rows plural

1. a row of prison cells for prisoners awaiting execution.

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death row British  

noun

1. the part of a prison where those sentenced to death are confined

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• death rows
  plural

Etymology

Origin of death row

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

The US Supreme Court has denied an appeal by the state of Alabama to execute death row prisoner Jeffery Lee using nitrogen gas.

From BBC • Jun. 12, 2026

A legal maneuver once reserved for death row inmates and suspected terrorists has become the only recourse for immigrant detainees, who have flooded federal courts in California with thousands of petitions for freedom.

From Los Angeles Times • May 9, 2026

The Justice Department also said Friday it was considering relocating or expanding the footprint of federal death row, including possibly constructing an additional execution facility.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

In 1995, Penn was lured back to the screen by friend Tim Robbins, earning his first Oscar nomination for the death row tale "Dead Man Walking."

From Barron's • Mar. 16, 2026

The Alabama Supreme Court had just scheduled another death row prisoner's execution.

From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson