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hoosegow
noun
Did you know?
In Spanish, juzgado means "panel of judges, courtroom." The word is based on the Spanish past participle of juzgar, meaning "to judge," which itself was influenced by Latin judicare—a combination of jus, "right, law," and dicere,"to decide, say." When English speakers of the American West borrowed juzgado, they recorded it the way they heard it: hoosegow. They also associated the word specifically with the jail that was usually in the same building as a courthouse. Today, hoosegow has become slang for any place of confinement for lawbreakers.
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Examples of hoosegow in a Sentence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'hoosegow.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Spanish juzgado panel of judges, courtroom, from past participle of juzgar to judge, from Latin judicare — more at judge entry 2
1895, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing hoosegow
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Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
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Cite this Entry
“Hoosegow.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoosegow. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
from Spanish juzgado "panel of judges, courtroom," derived from juzgar "to judge," from Latin judicare "to judge" — related to judge
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