prison

[ priz-uh n ]
/ ˈprɪz ən /

noun

a building for the confinement of persons held while awaiting trial, persons sentenced after conviction, etc.
any place of confinement or involuntary restraint.

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Origin of prison

before 1150; Middle English prison, earlier prisun < Old French, variant of preson imprisonment, a prison < Latin pre(hē)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

jail prison

Example sentences from the Web for prison

British Dictionary definitions for prison

prison
/ (ˈprɪzən) /

noun

a public building used to house convicted criminals and accused persons remanded in custody and awaiting trial See also jail, penitentiary, reformatory
any place of confinement or seeming confinement

Word Origin for prison

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