lockup

noun

lock·up | \ ˈläk-ˌəp

Definition of lockup

1 : jail especially : a local jail where persons are detained prior to court hearing

2 : an act of locking : the state of being locked

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Synonyms for lockup

Synonyms

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

Examples of lockup in a Sentence

the firm conviction that juvenile offenders should never be held in adult lockups

Recent Examples on the Web

Evers changed a part of the budget affecting new lockups that are meant to replace Lincoln Hills School for Boys, the troubled juvenile prison north of Wausau that officials plan to close in 2021. — Molly Beck, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Tony Evers uses his vast veto power to raise school spending another $65 million, wipe out Tesla provision," 3 July 2019 During the Obama administration, Oklahoma’s Republican leaders opposed lockups such as Ft. — Molly Hennessy-fiske, latimes.com, "Japanese internment camp survivors protest Ft. Sill migrant detention center," 22 June 2019 The new jail would have 166 mental health beds compared with 24 beds in the current lockup, according to a schematic design overview in the board packet. — Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, "Macomb County taxpayers may spend 21 years paying for new jail," 19 June 2019 Bureau of Prisons records show Manafort was being held Tuesday at the Metropolitan Correctional Center, a federal lockup in Manhattan. — Michael R. Sisak, BostonGlobe.com, "Manafort to remain in federal custody," 18 June 2019 Former state officials who helped craft the realignment law said California’s worst county lockups were, for the most part, supposed to have been overhauled or replaced by now. — Jason Pohl, ProPublica, "Deadly Delays in Jail Construction Cost Lives and Dollars Across California," 20 July 2019 Texas Austin: The latest state review of juvenile lockups shows no apparent improvement in operations, as inspectors found teenagers shouting obscenities at guards, little supervision, assaults and severe understaffing. — USA TODAY, "Roller coaster ghost town, Alaska heat, rock hyrax pups: News from around our 50 states," 8 July 2019 He was being held at the federal lockup in Manhattan. — Washington Post, "The Latest: Victims speak out after Jeffrey Epstein charged," 8 July 2019 He was being held at the federal lockup in Manhattan. — Jim Mustian, Twin Cities, "Wealthy financier Jeffrey Epstein charged with molesting dozens of girls," 8 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'lockup.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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Statistics for lockup

Last Updated

14 Aug 2019

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Time Traveler for lockup

The first known use of lockup was in 1746

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More Definitions for lockup

lockup

noun

English Language Learners Definition of lockup

: a place where prisoners are kept

British : a garage (sense 1) that is rented out

See the full definition for lockup in the English Language Learners Dictionary

lockup

noun

lock·up | \ ˈläk-ˌəp

Kids Definition of lockup

: prison

lockup

noun

lock·up

Legal Definition of lockup

1 : a cell or group of cells (as in a courthouse) or jail where persons are held prior to a court hearing — compare house of correction, house of detention, jail, penitentiary, prison

2 : the tactic of arranging with a friendly party an option to buy a valuable portion of one's corporate assets in order to discourage a takeover by another party