əˌbus, ˌkæl noun Slang.
jail; prison; lockup.
Origin:
1785–95, Americanism; (< North American F) < Spanish calabozo dungeon, of obscure origin
1785–95, Americanism; (< North American F) < Spanish calabozo dungeon, of obscure origin
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To calaboose
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World English Dictionary
calaboose (ˈkæləˌbuːs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| informal (US) a prison; jail | |
| [C18: from Creole French, from Spanish calabozo dungeon, of unknown origin] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
00:10
Calaboose
is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
| a chattering or flighty, light-headed person. |
| a gadget; dingus; thingumbob. |
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
calaboose
"prison," 1792, Amer.Eng., from Louisiana Fr. calabouse, from Sp. calabozo "dungeon," probably from V.L. *calafodium, from pre-Roman *cala "protected place, den" + L. fodere "to dig" (see fossil).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Slang Dictionary
calaboose definition[ˈkæləbus]
|
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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