gaol

[ jeyl ]

/ dʒeɪl /

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noun, verb (used with object) British.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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OTHER WORDS FROM gaol

gaoler, nounun·der·gaol·er, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use gaol in a sentence

Mademoiselle affected for her gaoler a most unconquerable aversion, and this she took pains to proclaim.
St. Martin's Summer|Rafael Sabatini
Varney passed out presently, locking the door behind him as coolly as if he had been a gaoler.
The Weight of the Crown|Fred M. White
The very gaoler took three minutes to turn the noisy keys silently, that he might soften the sense of imprisonment.
The Life of Mazzini|Bolton King
After Martin was committed to the charge of the gaoler on the morning of the 9th of February, he breakfasted and went to bed.
Yorkshire Oddities, Incidents and Strange Events|S. Baring-Gould

Dudouis, had visited the prison and instructed the gaoler in regard to the precautions necessary to insure Lupin's safety.
The Extraordinary Adventures of Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar|Maurice Leblanc

British Dictionary definitions for gaol

gaol

/ (dʒeɪl) /

noun, verb

British a variant spelling of jail

Derived forms of gaol

gaoler, noun

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