prison

[ priz-uhn ]
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noun
  1. a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.

  1. any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

Origin of prison

1
before 1150; Middle English prison, earlier prisun<Old French, variant of preson imprisonment, a prison <Latin pre()nsiōn- (stem of prehēnsiō) a seizure, arrest, equivalent to prehēns(us) (past participle of prehendere to seize) + -iōn--ion; doublet of prehension

Other words from prison

  • pris·on·like, adjective
  • post·pris·on, adjective

Words that may be confused with prison

Words Nearby prison

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How to use prison in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for prison

prison

/ (ˈprɪzən) /


noun
  1. a public building used to house convicted criminals and accused persons remanded in custody and awaiting trial: See also jail, penitentiary, reformatory

  2. any place of confinement or seeming confinement

Origin of prison

1
C12: from Old French prisun, from Latin prēnsiō a capturing, from prehendere to lay hold of

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