jailhouse

noun

jail·​house ˈjāl-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce jailhouse (audio)
Synonyms of jailhousenext

Examples of jailhouse in a Sentence

received a tip from an informant inside the county jailhouse
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Federal civil rights officials have ended their oversight of the Orange County district attorney’s use of jailhouse informants, confident that the office has sufficiently reformed its practices. Tony Saavedra, Oc Register, 24 Dec. 2025 Before her jailhouse vision, Lee had birthed and lost four babies. Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 His brother said Rhone learned construction skills by going to a jailhouse trade school and found work, but turned to crime after developing a drug problem. Khaleda Rahman, MSNBC Newsweek, 5 Dec. 2025 Immediately after his release, Levy told reporters outside the jailhouse that he got caught in the middle of a situation trying to break up a fight over the bill. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 1 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jailhouse

Word History

First Known Use

1812, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jailhouse was in 1812

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jailhouse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jailhouse. Accessed 1 Jan. 2026.

Legal Definition

jailhouse

noun
jail·​house ˈjāl-ˌhau̇s How to pronounce jailhouse (audio)
: jail

More from Merriam-Webster on jailhouse

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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