jug

1 of 2

noun

ˈjəg 

plural jugs

1

a(1)

: a large deep container (as of glass, earthenware, or plastic) with a narrow mouth and a handle

(2)

: the contents of such a container : jugful

b

chiefly British : a small pitcher

2

: jail, prison

3

often vulgar : breast

—usually used in plural

jug

2 of 2

verb

jugged; jugging

transitive verb

1

: to stew (something, such as a hare) in an earthenware vessel

2

: jail, imprison

Synonyms

Noun

• bastille
• big house [slang]
• bridewell
• brig
• calaboose
• can
• clink [slang]
• cooler
• coop
• guardroom
• hock
• hold
• hoosegow
• jail
• jailhouse
• joint [slang]
• lockup
• nick [British slang]
• pen
• penitentiary
• pokey [slang]
• prison
• quod [British slang]
• slam
• slammer
• stir [slang]
• stockade
• tolbooth [Scottish]

Verb

• commit
• confine
• immure
• imprison
• incarcerate
• intern
• jail
• lock (up)

Examples of jug in a Sentence

Noun

some no-good fellow who had spent most of his life in and out of the county jug

put a jug of milk on the table

Verb

the luckless crooks got jugged before they knew what hit them

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Bring gloves, utility scissors and a clean milk jug. —Staff Report, Chicago Tribune, 31 Dec. 2022

Councell tapped a plastic jug the size of a garden shed containing sugar water, nearby another full of corn syrup. —Bill Weir, CNN, 12 Dec. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

perhaps from Jug, nickname for Joan

First Known Use

Noun

1538, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Verb

1747, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing jug

• jug band
• jug-eared
• jug wine
• measuring jug
• toby jug

Kids Definition

jug

1 of 2 noun

ˈjəg 

1

a

: a large deep container with a narrow mouth and a handle

b

: the amount held by a jug

2

: prison sense 2, jail

jug

2 of 2 verb

jugged; jugging

: imprison