3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Jail  \Jail\,  n.  [OE.  jaile,  gail,  gayhol  OF  gaole,  gaiole 
  jaiole  F.  ge[^o]le,  LL  gabiola  dim.  of  gabia  cage,  for  L. 
  cavea  cavity,  cage.  See  {Cage}.] 
  A  kind  of  prison;  a  building  for  the  confinement  of  persons 
  held  in  lawful  custody,  especially  for  minor  offenses  or  with 
  reference  to  some  future  judicial  proceeding.  [Written  also 
  {gaol}.] 
 
  This  jail  I  count  the  house  of  liberty.  --Milton. 
 
  {Jail  bird},  a  prisoner;  one  who  has  been  confined  in  prison. 
  [Slang] 
 
  {Jail  delivery},  the  release  of  prisoners  from  jail,  either 
  legally  or  by  violence. 
 
  {Jail  delivery  commission}.  See  under  {Gaol}. 
 
  {Jail  fever}  (Med.),  typhus  fever,  or  a  disease  resembling 
  it  generated  in  jails  and  other  places  crowded  with 
  people;  --  called  also  {hospital  fever},  and  {ship  fever}. 
 
 
  {Jail  liberties},  or  {Jail  limits},  a  space  or  district 
  around  a  jail  within  which  an  imprisoned  debtor  was  on 
  certain  conditions,  allowed  to  go  at  large  --Abbott. 
 
  {Jail  lock},  a  peculiar  form  of  padlock;  --  called  also 
  {Scandinavian  lock}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Gaol  \Gaol\,  n.  [See  {Jail}.] 
  A  place  of  confinement,  especially  for  minor  offenses  or 
  provisional  imprisonment;  a  jail.  [Preferably,  and  in  the 
  United  States  usually,  written  {jail}.] 
 
  {Commission  of  general  gaol  delivery},  an  authority  conferred 
  upon  judges  and  others  included  in  it  for  trying  and 
  delivering  every  prisoner  in  jail  when  the  judges,  upon 
  their  circuit,  arrive  at  the  place  for  holding  court,  and 
  for  discharging  any  whom  the  grand  jury  fail  to  indict. 
  [Eng.] 
 
  {Gaol  delivery}.  (Law)  See  {Jail  delivery},  under  {Jail}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  gaol 
  n  :  a  place  used  to  detain  persons  who  are  in  the  lawful  custody 
  of  the  government  (either  accused  persons  awaiting  trial 
  or  convicted  persons  serving  a  sentence)  [syn:  {jail},  {jailhouse}, 
  {clink}] 
  v  :  lock  up  in  jail  [syn:  {imprison},  {incarcerate},  {lag},  {immure}, 
  {put  behind  bars},  {jail},  {jug},  {put  away},  {remand}] 

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