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hoosegow

hoosegow

5 9.9
A jail or prison where people go when they break the law
  • noun
  • /ˈhuːsɡaʊ/
  • Archaic
: cárcel
  • After the robbery, he was worried he would end up in the hoosegow for a long time.

Oh, we're all headed to the hoosegow now.

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Examples

Synonyms

jailhouse
vshoosegow
37 4.1

A building where police keep people who are waiting for trial or serving a sentence

is informal slang rather than the formal institutional term
slammer
vshoosegow
  • Slang
29 9.8

A prison or jail where people are kept after arrest

is slang for the holding place without stressing the act of detention
pokey
vshoosegow
  • Slang
6 9.9

A small jail where people wait for trial or serve short sentences

is the general slang term not limited to small or temporary places
house of detention
vshoosegow
  • Formal
2 7.7

A place where young people who broke the law are kept by the court for a short time

is broader slang not limited to young offenders or temporary stays
poky
vshoosegow
  • Slang
1 9.9

A small, dirty local jail

is the broad slang word without focus on condition or upkeep
prison house
vshoosegow
  • Literature
1 7.8

A place that feels like you cannot move or act freely

is the literal slang name for an actual place where people are held
bridewell
vshoosegow
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A small local jail where police hold people, often in the past

is slang and general, not tied to region or historical usage
hoosgow
vshoosegow
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A place where people are kept after being arrested

is the same slang but spelled with an extra letter
chokey
vshoosegow
  • Archaic
1 9.9

A prison where people are kept as punishment for a crime

is the common slang without the regional or dated label

Antonyms

∞ 1.0

The right to act, speak, or think as you want without being stopped

282 1.8

An act of letting someone or something go free from being held

Surface Forms

hoosegow singular
hoosegows plural

Etymology

The word hoosegow comes from Mexican Spanish juzgado, which means 'court'. English speakers in the Old West heard juzgado and turned it into hoosegow, and because a court can send you to prison, hoosegow came to mean 'jail'.