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Webster 1913 Edition

Prison

Pris′on

(?; 277)
,
Noun.
[F., fr. L.
prehensio
,
prensio
, a seizing, arresting, fr.
prehendre
,
prendere
, to lay hold of, to seize. See
Prehensile
, and cf.
Prize
,
Noun.
,
Misprision
.]
1.
A place where persons are confined, or restrained of personal liberty; hence, a place or state o[GREEK] confinement, restraint, or safe custody.
Bring my soul out of
prison
, that I may praise thy name.
Ps. cxlii. 7.
The tyrant Aeolus, . . .
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
,
Noun.
, 24.
–
Prison breach
.
(Law)
See Note under 3d
Escape
,
Noun.
, 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.

Pris′on

,
Verb.
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.
Shakespeare
2.
To bind (together); to enchain.
[Obs.]
Sir William Crispyn with the duke was led
Together
prisoned
.
Robert of Brunne.

Webster 1828 Edition

Prison

PRISON

,
Noun.
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. Eccles.4.
4.
The cave where David was confined. Ps.142.
5.
A state of spiritual bondage. Is.42.

Definition 2024

prison

prison

English

Noun

prison ‎(countable and uncountable, plural prisons)

  1. A place or institution of confinement, especially of long-term confinement for those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government.
    The cold stone walls of the prison had stood for over a century.
  2. (uncountable) Confinement in prison.
    Prison was a harrowing experience for him.
  3. (colloquial) Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.
    The academy was a prison for many of its students because of its strict teachers.

Synonyms

Hypernyms

Coordinate terms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

prison ‎(third-person singular simple present prisons, present participle prisoning, simple past and past participle prisoned)

  1. (transitive) To imprison.

Translations

Anagrams

French

Etymology

From Old French prison, inherited from Latin prehensiō, prehensiōnem, from prehendō. Doublet of préhension.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /pʁi.zɔ̃/

Noun

prison f ‎(plural prisons)

  1. prison

Derived terms

Anagrams

Norman

Etymology

From Old French prison, from Latin prehensiō, prehensiōnem ‎(“seizing, apprehending, arresting, capturing”).

Noun

prison f ‎(plural prisons)

  1. (Jersey) prison

Related terms

Old French

Alternative forms

Etymology

From Latin prehensiō, prehensiōnem, from prehendō.

Noun

prison f ‎(oblique plural prisons, nominative singular prison, nominative plural prisons)

  1. prison
    • circa 1200, author unknown, Aucassin et Nicolette
      Por vos sui en prison mis
      dans ce celier sousterin
      For you, I have been put in this prison
      in this underground cellar

Noun

prison m ‎(oblique plural prisons, nominative singular prisons, nominative plural prison)

  1. prisoner

Derived terms

Descendants

Etymology

From Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪzən/
  • Rhymes: -ɪzən


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