jailbird means A prisoner or an ex-prisoner. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 78 out of 100.
Why “jailbird” is a great word
A person who is or has been imprisoned, often with the connotation of being a habitual or repeat offender. Its etymology is a starkly literal compound: from jail (a place of confinement) plus bird (a creature), based on the image of a caged bird, first attested in English circa 1600. Unlike a 'prisoner,' a neutral term for anyone confined, or a 'detainee,' which implies temporary or pre-trial custody, 'jailbird' carries the informal, pejorative weight of a known and incorrigible criminal life. It is the silhouette of a man who knows the exact number of bricks in his cell wall, the particular rhythm of a specific lock’s tumblers, and the institutional pallor of skin that has forgotten the sun—a soul for whom confinement has become a perverse homecoming, a life set to the clang of a closing door.
Etymology
From jail + bird, circa 1600. Compare gallows bird.
noun
- A prisoner or an ex-prisoner