jailbreak

[ jeyl-breyk ]

/ ˈdʒeɪlˌbreɪk /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR jailbreak ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

an escape from prison, especially by forcible means.

Digital Technology.

an instance of gaining access to the operating system of a smartphone, tablet, etc., especially one manufactured by Apple.
a software program or piece of hardware used to accomplish this: You'll need a jailbreak to run unauthorized apps.
an instance of circumventing restrictions on access to any computer system or digital content.

verb (used with object), jail·broke [jeyl-brohk] /ˈdʒeɪlˌbroʊk/, jail·brok·en [jeyl-broh-kuh n] /ˈdʒeɪlˌbroʊ kən/, jail·break·ing.

Digital Technology. to gain access to the operating system of (a smartphone, tablet, etc., especially an Apple device), usually in order to run modified or unauthorized software.Compare root¹(def 22a).

verb (used without object), jail·broke [jeyl-brohk] /ˈdʒeɪlˌbroʊk/, jail·brok·en [jeyl-broh-kuh n] /ˈdʒeɪlˌbroʊ kən/, jail·break·ing.

Digital Technology. to engage in this practice: Manufacturers are trying to prevent jailbreaking.Compare root¹(def 24).

RELATED WORDS

flight, getaway, escapement

Nearby words

jail, jail delivery, jail fever, jailbait, jailbird, jailbreak, jailer, jailhouse, jailhouse lawyer, jain, jaina

Origin of jailbreak

An Americanism dating back to 1905–10; jail + break

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for jailbreak

Lehman's script began after the jailbreak, focusing on the hero of the picture, an American who pursues Blake.
Alfred Hitchcock’s Fade to Black: The Great Director’s Final Days|David Freeman|December 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
There had been no question about his identity when his gang staged a jailbreak, killing the Allen County sheriff in the process.
The Mystery Woman Who Tried to Outdo Dillinger|Michael Daly|September 29, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The accusations include several attacks on various prisons, including a 2011 jailbreak in which Morsi escaped.
Hamas in the Crosshairs|Hussein Ibish|July 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
On his Twitter account Tuesday, President Felipe Calderón called the jailbreak “deplorable.”
Convicts Hunted After Mexican Prison Break Near Border|Christine Pelisek|September 19, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Such poisonous suspicions have only been deepened by the jailbreak.
Pakistani Taliban Jailbreak: An Inside Job?|Ron Moreau & Sami Yousafzai|April 17, 2012|DAILY BEAST

British Dictionary definitions for jailbreak

jailbreak

/ (ˈdʒeɪlˌbreɪk) /

noun

Also: gaolbreak an escape from jail

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

Word Origin and History for jailbreak

jailbreak

also jail-break, "prison escape," 1872, perhaps 1828, from jail (n.) + break (n.).