American English
/ʤeɪl/
One syllable.
A place where people are kept when they are accused of a crime or are serving a short prison sentence.
Practice out loudA place where people are kept when they are accused of a crime or are serving a short prison sentence.
He spent three months in jail.
She went to jail for stealing money.
In American English, jail often means a local place for people waiting for trial or serving a shorter sentence. Prison usually means a place for a longer sentence.
county jail · jail sentence · be released from jail · local jail
be in jail
go to jail
To put someone in jail as a legal punishment or while they wait for trial.
The judge jailed him for fraud.
They were jailed while they waited for trial.
jail someone for a crime
jail + someone
be jailed for + a crime
to be sent to jail
He went to jail for robbery.
to be kept in jail
She is still in jail.
time spent in jail as a punishment
He served two years of jail time.