Adjacent Words

Prison definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PRISON, n. priz'n. [L. prendo.]
1. In a general sense, any place of confinement or involuntary restraint; but appropriately, a public building for the confinement or safe custody of debtors and criminals committed by process of law; a jail. Originally, a prison, as Lord Coke observes, was only a place of safe custody; but it is now employed as a place of punishment. We have state-prisons, for the confinement of criminals by way of punishment.
2. Any place of confinement or restraint.
The tyrant Aeolus,
With power imperial curbs the struggling winds,
And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds.
3. In Scripture, a low, obscure, afflicted condition. Ecclesiastes 4.
4. The cave where David was confined. Psalms 142.
5. A state of spiritual bondage. Isaiah 42.
PRIS'ON, v.t. To shut up in a prison; to confine; to restrain from liberty.
1. To confine in any manner.
2. To captivate; to enchain.
[This word is proper, but imprison is more commonly used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a correctional institution where persons are confined while on trial or for punishment [syn: prison, prison house]
2: a prisonlike situation; a place of seeming confinement [syn: prison, prison house]

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin prehension-, prehensio act of seizing, from prehendere to seize — more at get Date: 12th century 1. a state of confinement or captivity 2. a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes — compare jail II. transitive verb Date: 14th century imprison, confine

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a place in which a person is kept in captivity, esp. a building to which persons are legally committed while awaiting trial or for punishment; a jail. 2 custody, confinement (in prison). --v.tr. poet. (prisoned, prisoning) put in prison. Phrases and idioms: prison-breaking escape from prison. prison camp a camp for prisoners of war or of State. Etymology: ME f. OF prisun, -on f. L prensio -onis f. prehensio f. prehendere prehens- lay hold of

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prison Pris"on, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Prisoned; p. pr. & vb. n. Prisoning.] 1. To imprison; to shut up in, or as in, a prison; to confine; to restrain from liberty. The prisoned eagle dies for rage. --Sir W. Scott. His true respect will prison false desire. --Shak. 2. To bind (together); to enchain. [Obs.] Sir William Crispyn with the duke was led Together prisoned. --Robert of Brunne.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Prison Pris"on (?; 277), n. [F., fr. L. prehensio, prensio, a seizing, arresting, fr. prehendre, prendere, to lay hold of, to seize. See Prehensile, and cf. Prize, n., Misprision.] 1. A place where persons are confined, or restrained of personal liberty; hence, a place or state o? confinement, restraint, or safe custody. Bring my soul out of prison, that I may praise thy name. --Ps. cxlii. 7. The tyrant [AE]olus, . . . With power imperial, curbs the struggling winds, And sounding tempests in dark prisons binds. --Dryden. 2. Specifically, a building for the safe custody or confinement of criminals and others committed by lawful authority. Prison bars, or Prison base. See Base, n., 24. Prison breach. (Law) See Note under 3d Escape, n., 4. Prison house, a prison. --Shak. Prison ship (Naut.), a ship fitted up for the confinement of prisoners. Prison van, a carriage in which prisoners are conveyed to and from prison.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(prisons) Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English. A prison is a building where criminals are kept as punishment or where people accused of a crime are kept before their trial. The prison's inmates are being kept in their cells... He was sentenced to life in prison... = jail N-VAR: oft in names after n

Easton's Bible Dictionary

The first occasion on which we read of a prison is in the history of Joseph in Egypt. Then Potiphar, "Joseph's master, took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound" (Gen. 39:20-23). The Heb. word here used (sohar) means properly a round tower or fortress. It seems to have been a part of Potiphar's house, a place in which state prisoners were kept.

The Mosaic law made no provision for imprisonment as a punishment. In the wilderness two persons were "put in ward" (Lev. 24:12; Num. 15:34), but it was only till the mind of God concerning them should be ascertained. Prisons and prisoners are mentioned in the book of Psalms (69:33; 79:11; 142:7). Samson was confined in a Philistine prison (Judg. 16:21, 25). In the subsequent history of Israel frequent references are made to prisons (1 Kings 22:27; 2 Kings 17:4; 25:27, 29; 2 Chr. 16:10; Isa. 42:7; Jer. 32:2). Prisons seem to have been common in New Testament times (Matt. 11:2; 25:36, 43). The apostles were put into the "common prison" at the instance of the Jewish council (Acts 5:18, 23; 8:3); and at Philippi Paul and Silas were thrust into the "inner prison" (16:24; comp. 4:3; 12:4, 5).

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. Jail, gaol, penitentiary, bridewell, workhouse, house of correction.

Moby Thesaurus

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