prison
/ˈpɹɪzn̩/
Etymology
From Middle English prisoun, prison, from Old English prisūn, a borrowing from Old French prison, from Latin prehensiōnem, accusative singular of prehensiō, from the verb prehendō. Doublet of prehension.
prison means A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government. Lexicurio rates it Rare gem — a strength score of 72 out of 100.
Why this word is great
PRISON — [Noun] An institution for the long-term confinement of persons convicted of serious crimes. From Middle English prisoun, from Old French prison ("captivity, prison"), from Latin prehensionem, accusative of prehensio ("a seizing"), from prehendere ("to seize"). Unlike "jail" (which suggests a temporary, procedural holding) or "penitentiary" (which foregrounds a theory of correction), "prison" is the stark architecture of seized time itself. It is the weight of a heavy door closing on a corridor of identical doors, the slow bleaching of color from a wall under a constant electric sun, and the calendar not of days but of seasons observed through a wire-grid window. The ultimate capture is not of the body, but of the future.
noun
- A place or institution where people are held against their will, in the US especially for long-term confinement, as of those convicted of serious crimes or otherwise considered undesirable by the government.“The cold stone walls of the prison had stood for over a century.”
- Confinement in prison.“Prison was a harrowing experience for him.”
- Any restrictive environment, such as a harsh academy or home.“The academy was a prison for many of its students because of its strict teachers.”