calabooses
/ˈkæləˌbusɪz/
NOUN
1. Prisons or jails
Places where people are confined or detained, especially as punishment for crimes or while awaiting legal proceedings.
1.1. Jails and correctional facilities
Refers to local jails or other institutions where people are held in custody. Calaboose is an informal, chiefly American term.
Synonyms
- jails
- prisons
- penitentiaries
- lockups
- jailhouses
- bridewells
- brigs
- correctional institutions
- detention facilities
- houses of correction
- houses of detention
- gaols
Antonyms
- outsides
Examples
- The old western town had several calabooses to hold lawbreakers.
- The sheriff locked up the rowdy cowboys in the calabooses for the night.
- The historian studied the architecture of the town's historic calabooses.
Related Words
- incarceration
- imprisonment
- detention
- confinement
- captivity
- custody
1.2. Informal and slang terms for jails
Refers to jails using colloquial or slang expressions, often with a humorous or old-fashioned tone.
Synonyms
Antonyms
- outsides
Examples
- The sheriff had used several old-fashioned calabooses to hold troublesome offenders.
- Stories about the notorious outlaws held in the town's calabooses became local legends.
Related Words
- cells
- dungeons
- stockades
- guardhouses
- guardrooms
- cages