jailer

or jail·or

[ jey-ler ]

/ ˈdʒeɪ lər /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR jailer ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

a person who is in charge of a jail or section of a jail.

a person who forcibly confines another.

RELATED WORDS

guard, turnkey

Nearby words

jail delivery, jail fever, jailbait, jailbird, jailbreak, jailer, jailhouse, jailhouse lawyer, jain, jainism, jaipur

Origin of jailer

1250–1300; Middle English gaioler, jaioler, jailer < Old French jaiolier. See jail, -er²

Related forms

un·der·jail·er, noun

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

Examples from the Web for jailer

“The jailer had a high-school-age daughter and was uncertain how to help her get in college,” writes Ferris.
The Tragic History of Southern Food|Jason Berry|November 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was akin to a jailer wielding a set of keys before locking you in your cell.
Hugh Jackman's Tony Jumping Fail, Plus the Winners and Standout Moments of Broadway's Biggest Night|Tim Teeman|June 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Does the low profile assumed by the former head of Yukos mean that he entered into a secret agreement with his jailer?
The Mystery of Mikhail Khodorkovsky|Bernard-Henri Lévy|January 2, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He declined to give his name and insisted his jailer was treating him like his mother would.
Despite Pledge, Syrian Rebels Continue to Torture|Jamie Dettmer|August 15, 2012|DAILY BEAST

My jailer said I had to convert to Islam if I hoped to survive.
U.S. Must Show It Respects Quran and Its Importance to Afghans|Jere Van Dyk|February 28, 2012|DAILY BEAST
And with a kind smile he offered his hand to the jailer who stood at the door with a gloomy, sullen air.
Louisa Of Prussia and Her Times|Louise Muhlbach
Send this man who seems to have constituted himself my jailer out of earshot, and I will tell you even more.
The Vanished Messenger|E. Phillips Oppenheim
"Those great folks does things their own ways; oui-gia," remarked the jailer.
The Battle Of The Strong, Complete|Gilbert Parker
The jailer paused, and the diamond laughed in his dazzled eyes.
Zanoni|Edward Bulwer Lytton
But the jailer had raised his lantern, and the poor man could recognize his betrothed.
Within an Inch of His Life|Emile Gaboriau

British Dictionary definitions for jailer

jailer

jailor or gaoler

/ (ˈdʒeɪlə) /

noun

a person in charge of prisoners in a 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