Meaning & use
jail cell
Last updated
UK/ˈdʒeɪl sel/
US/ˈdʒeɪl sel/
Meaning
nouncountable
A small locked room in a jail where a person is kept while waiting for trial or serving a short sentence.
Grammar: Usually with a: spend a night in a jail cell.
Patterns
- in a jail cell
- a night in a jail cell
He spent the night in a jail cell after the argument.
The jail cell had a narrow bed and a steel toilet.
Word forms
| plural | jail cells |
|---|
Common combinations
- locked in a jail cell
- She was locked in a jail cell for two days.
- spend time in a jail cell
- He had to spend time in a jail cell.
- cramped jail cell
- The cramped jail cell held four people.
- jail cell door
- The jail cell door slammed shut.
Synonyms and how they differ
- holding cell
- Is a temporary cell for people waiting to be processed or moved.
- prison cell
- Is used for longer sentences in a prison rather than a local jail.
- lockup
- Is informal and American, a small local place of detention.
Word family
Commonly confused: jail cell or prison cell?
jail cell vs prison cell
A prison houses people serving long sentences, a jail usually holds people for short periods or before trial.
Practice
A person arrested last night and waiting for a hearing is most likely held in a ___.
Choose one answer.
A jail cell is where people are held short term or before trial. The other choices are not places of detention.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “jail cell”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
Your sentence stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.