Word
clink
US/ˈkɫɪŋk/
UK/klˈɪŋk/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a prison or jail. You say it in casual talk when someone is locked up for a short time.
n. a prison or short-term place of detention. Appears chiefly in the fixed phrase 'in the clink' meaning held in custody.
Examples
“He spends one night in the clink for speeding.”
“After the bar fight, the two men land in the clink until their court hearing.”
“The memoir describes his brief stay in the clink, where the metallic echo of doors gave the slang term a painfully literal resonance.”
Examples
simple
“He spends one night in the clink for speeding.”
contextual
“After the bar fight, the two men land in the clink until their court hearing.”
complex
“The memoir describes his brief stay in the clink, where the metallic echo of doors gave the slang term a painfully literal resonance.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “clink” in context.
Verb
01. land in clink
“You can land in the clink for driving without a licence.”
verb + prep + noun
02. put in clink
“They put him in the clink for not paying his fines.”
verb + prep + noun
03. rot in clink
“He was left to rot in the clink for months.”
verb + prep + noun
04. send to clink
“The judge sent him to the clink for a week.”
verb + prep + noun
05. sit in clink
“He sat in the clink for two nights after the protest.”
verb + prep + noun
06. throw in clink
“The sheriff threw him in the clink overnight for fighting.”
verb + prep + noun
Adjective
07. local clink
“He spent the night in the local clink for drunk driving.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. night in clink
“A night in the clink taught him never to drink and drive.”
noun + prep + noun
09. spell in clink
“After a short spell in the clink, he lost his job.”
noun + prep + noun
10. a night in the clink
“He spent a night in the clink after the bar fight.”
11. end up in the clink
“Drive drunk and you could end up in the clink.”
12. out of the clink
“He got out of the clink on Monday morning.”
Usage
Typically used with the definite article in the phrase 'in the clink'.
Etymology
From Middle English clinken, from Old English clincan (compare clynnan, clynian (“to sound; resound”)), from Proto-Germanic klinganą (“to sound”). Cognates include Middle Dutch klinken and German klingen. Related to cling (sound) and clang. May be further related to call. Perhaps of onomatopoeic origin, as metal against metal.
From the Clink prison in Southwark, London, itself presumably named after sound of doors being bolted or chains rattling.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Synonyms
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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