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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary pris·on \\ˈpri-zən\\ noun ETYMOLOGY Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Latin prehension-, prehensio act of seizing, from prehendere to seize — more at get DATE 12th century 1. a state of confinement or captivity2. a place of confinement especially for lawbreakers; specifically : an institution (as one under state jurisdiction) for confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes — compare jail transitive verb DATE 14th century : imprison , confine prison
c.1123, from O.Fr. prisoun "prison, imprisonment" (11c.), altered (by influence of pris "taken;" see prize (2)) from earlier preson, from L. prensionem (nom. prensio), shortening of prehensionem (nom. *prehensio) "a taking," noun of action from pp. stem of prehendere "to take" (see prehensile). Captives taken in war were called prisoners since c.1350; phrase prisoner of war dates from 1678 (see also POW). Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary-牛津双解-OALD7 ☞ prisonprison / 5prizn / noun1. [C, U] a building where people are kept as a punishment for a crime they have committed, or while they are waiting for trial 监狱；牢狱；看守所
SYN jail :
He was sent to prison for nine years. 他被关押了五年。
She is in prison, awaiting trial. 她正在拘押候审中。
to be released from prison 被释放出狱
a maximum-security prison 最高度戒备的监狱
the prison population (= the total number of prisoners in a country) 在押人数
the problem of overcrowding in prisons 监狱人满为患的问题
Ten prison officers and seven inmates needed hospital treatment following the riot. 骚乱之后,有十名狱警和三名囚犯需入院治疗。⇨ note at school 2. [U] the system of keeping people in prisons 监禁；关押；关押制度:
the prison service / system 监狱管理机构/制度
The government insists that 'prison works' and plans to introduce a tougher sentencing policy for people convicted of violent crime. 政府坚持认为"关押有效",并计划对暴力犯罪者实行更严厉的判刑政策。3. [C] a place or situation from which sb cannot escape 难以脱身的地方(或处境)；牢笼；樊笼:
His hospital room had become a prison. 他的病房变成了牢笼。 Oxford Collocations Dictionary for Students of English Oxford Collocations dictionary for students of Englishprison
noun ADJ. local | overcrowded | high-security, maximum-security, top-security | closed | open Open prisons prepare prisoners for life back in the community. | private | women's | debtors' (historical) | military VERB + PRISON go to He went to prison for tax evasion. | put sb in, send sb to, throw sb into She was sent to prison for leaking state secrets. He was immediately seized and thrown into prison. | be discharged from, be released from, come out of, get out of When did he get out of prison? | escape from A dangerous criminal has escaped from a high-security prison. | avoid, escape You only escaped prison (= escaped being sent to prison) because of your previous good character. | face She was told by magistrates she could now face prison. PRISON + NOUN sentence, term | cell, hospital | conditions | population | authorities, governor, inmate, officer, staff, warder | service, system PREP. at a/the~ The police are investigating disturbances at the prison. | in (a/the) ~ How long has her father been in prison? There have been riots in the prison. prison noun ⇨ prison (in prison) ⇨ send sb to prison ⇨ jail verb Webster's Third New International Dictionary, Unabridged pris·onI. \ˈpriz ən\ noun
( -s) Usage: often attributiveEtymology: Middle English prison, prisoun, prisun, from Old French prison, prisun, from Latin prehension-, prehensio act of seizing, from prehensus (past participle of prehendere to seize, grasp) + -ion-, -io -ion — more at prehensile 1. : a place or condition of confinement or restraint (as of a person) : imprisonment
< put in prison >
< prison seldom cures the criminal >2. : a building or other place for the safe custody or confinement of criminals or others (as formerly debtors) committed by lawful authority; often : an institution for the imprisonment of persons convicted of major crimes or felonies : a penitentiary as distinguished from a reformatory, local jail, or detention home II. transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s) Etymology: Middle English prisonen, from prison, n. chiefly dialect : to put or keep in restraint : imprison , confine
Search result show the entry is found in: prison bars , or prison bird , or prison breach , or prison camp , or prison fever , or prison house , or prison psychosis , or state prison , or breach of prison , or prison base , or prison breaking |