jailhouse
Americannoun
plural
jailhousesnoun
Etymology
Origin of jailhouse
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.
Alarmed by the growing jailhouse fraternity, authorities tightened prison controls and transferred inmates to other states.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 20, 2026
To convict him, the state relied on the testimony of a paid jailhouse informant, while no physical evidence suggested he was present at the crime scene.
From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026
Ryan won an award from the New York Press Club in 2018 for coverage of a jailhouse informant scandal in Detroit.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 27, 2026
The use of jailhouse informants is not an uncommon, or illegal, tactic and tool used by law enforcement.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2025
It is the prosecutor, far more than any other criminal justice official, who holds the keys to the jailhouse door.
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
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.
