Word
gaol
Definition
n. a prison. This is a word you mostly see in British English or in old stories.
n. a prison or place of detention. Primarily used in British English and often carries a literary or historical tone.
Examples
“The prisoner was sent to gaol for three years.”
“The old stone gaol stood on the edge of the town, a reminder of the city's history of crime.”
“The novel opens with the protagonist's arrival at the local gaol, where the cold stone walls and distant cries of the other inmates set the tone for the story's bleak atmosphere.”
Examples
simple
“The prisoner was sent to gaol for three years.”
contextual
“The old stone gaol stood on the edge of the town, a reminder of the city's history of crime.”
complex
“The novel opens with the protagonist's arrival at the local gaol, where the cold stone walls and distant cries of the other inmates set the tone for the story's bleak atmosphere.”
Etymology
From Middle English gayole, gaiol, gaylle, gaille, gayle, gaile, via Old French gaiole, gayolle, gaole, from Medieval Latin gabiola, for Late Latin caveola, a diminutive of Latin cavea (“cavity, coop, cage”). See also cage.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 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.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL 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: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/gaol