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Synonyms

drunk tank

American  

noun

Informal.

  1. a large jail cell where persons arrested for drunkenness are kept, usually overnight.

drunk tank British  

noun

  1. informal a large police cell used for detaining drunks overnight

"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

Etymology

Origin of drunk tank

First recorded in 1940–45

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.

In the most recent novels in the series, Bosch has been working as a reserve detective for the cash-strapped San Fernando Police Department where his office is a former drunk tank cell, complete with bars.

From Washington Post • Oct. 30, 2018

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.