Forms: α. 3–4 gayhol(e, 5 gayll(e, gaille, 5–7 gayole, gayl(e, gaile, 6 gaiell, gaill, 6–7 gaole, goale, 7–8 goal, 7– gaol. β. 4 iaiole, 4–7 iaile, iayle, 5 iayll, 6–7 iaole, 7–8 jayl, (7 jale), 7– jail. γ. 6 geyle, geayle, (gial), 7 geale. [ME. had two types, from Northern or Norman Fr., and Central or Parisian Fr. respectively: 1) ME. gay(h)ole, -ol, gayll(e, gaillv(e, gayl(e, gaile, a. ONF. gaiole, gayolle, gaole (mod. Picard gayole, Walloon gaioule); 2) ME. jaiole, jayle, jaile, jayll, a. OF. jaiole, jaole, jeole, geole, cage, prison, F. geôle prison (Besançon javiole cage for fowls) = obs. It. gaiola, Sp. gayola (also, from F., jaula cage, cell), Pg. gaiola cage:—Romanic and pop.Lat. *gaviōla (med.L. gabiola, 1229 in Brachet) for *caveola, dim. of cavea hollow, cavity, den, cage, coop: see CAGE. Of the two types, the Norman Fr. and ME. gaiole, gaole, came down to the 17th c. as gaile, and still remains as a written form in the archaic spelling gaol (chiefly due to statutory and official tradition); but this is obsolete in the spoken language, where the surviving word is jail, repr. Old Parisian Fr. and ME. jaiole, jaile. Hence though both forms gaol, jail, are still written, only the latter is spoken. In U.S. jail is the official spelling. It is difficult to say whether the form goal(e, common, alike in official and general use, from the 16th to the 18th c., was merely an erroneous spelling of gaol, after this had itself become an archaism, or was phonetic: cf. mod.F. geôle (ʓōl).
1668. R. L’Estrange, Vis. Quev. (1708), 6. Some again are … boring their very Noses with hot Irons, in rage that they cannot come to a Resolution, whether they shall say Face or Visage; whether they shall say Jayl or Gaol; whether Cony or Cunny.]
1. A place or building for the confinement of persons accused or convicted of a crime or offence; a prison. Now, a public building for the detention of persons committed by process of law.
α. c. 1275. 11 Pains Hell, 219, in O. E. Misc., 153. In helle is a deop gayhol.
c. 1290. S. Eng. Leg., I. 187/105. Heo setten him in a swyþe deork put, þat in þe gayhole was.
c. 1380. Sir Ferumb., 1970. To my Gayhol goþ anon & þe fyue þat buþ þer Bryngeþ hem out euerechon.
1463. Bury Wills (Camden), 17. I wille the presoneres in the Gayle haue o day brede, mete, and drynkke, and eche persone jd.
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VII. 380. The duke of Burgoyne … wt the prouost of Paris, came vnto the Gayole, and there receyued the sayd Peter.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron., Hen. VI., 170 b. He was committed to the gayle of Newgate.
1572. Act 14 Eliz., c. 5 § 38. To such sufficient persons dwellinge nighe the said Goales.
1647. Clarendon, Hist. Reb., V. § 51. To be committed to the Common Goal of Colchester.
1689. Wonderful Predict. Nostradamus, 3, Beer shall fail The Great one Cold, and famish’t in a Gaol.
1779. J. Burgoyne, Let. to Constituents (ed. 3), 15. The goals … were resorted to for other recruits.
1846. M’Culloch, Acc. Brit. Empire (1854), II. 497. At that period the gaols were … depositories of pestilence.
1848. Act 11 & 12 Vict., c. 42 § 21. To remand the party accused … to the common gaol or house of correction, or other prison, lock-up house, or place of security in the county.
β. a. 1300. Cursor M., 13174 (Cott.). A sargant sent he to Iaiole [Laud MS. Iayle] And iohan hefd comanded to cole.
a. 1400–50. Alexander, 4321. Nouthire Iugement ne Iayll ne Iustice of aire.
c. 1440. Generydes, 1572. Generydes was brought out of the Iayle.
1566. Painter, Pal. Pleas., I. 42. He was sent to the iaole and examined vpon interrogatories.
1596. Shaks., Tam. Shr., V. i. 95. Call forth an officer: Carrie this mad knaue to the Iaile.
1674. Milton, Samson, 949. This jail I count the house of liberty.
1743–5. Bp. Pococke, Trav. (1756), II. 184. The jayl was in the gatehouse adjoyning.
1860. Emerson, Cond. Life, Wealth, Wks. (Bohn), II. 352. A dollar in a university is worth more than a dollar in a jail.
γ. 1688. W. Fleming, in 12th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm., App. VII. (1890), 224. Hee will get noe body to undertake the geale nor under gealership.
b. Without the article, as in the phrases ‘to send to jail,’ ‘in jail,’ ‘let out of jail’: = imprisonment, confinement in prison.
1447. Bokenham, Seyntys (Roxb.), 77. O damysel worthily born And to oft me semyth distressyd in gayle.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., IV. pr. v. 89. Geayle, lawe, and other tormentes for due punishment … pertayne to wicked Citizens.
1596. Spenser, State Irel., Wks. (Globe), 620/1. Committed to goale.
1732. Law, Serious C., xiii. (ed. 2), 216. To redeem a prisoner out of Jayl.
1863. Kingsley, Water-Bab., i. 8. Having been sent to gaol by him twice.
c. transf. and fig. Place of confinement.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 4745. A swete helle it [love] is … A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun.
1591. Spenser, Ruines of Time, 296. His happie soule to heaven went Out of this fleshlie gaole.
1593. Q. Eliz., Boeth., II. pr. vii. 39. If the mynde … dissolued from earthly gial, all freed seekes heauen.
1635. Heywood, Hierarchy, VI. 356. Each one his Gaile About him had, bee’ng fastned to a beame.
1764. Grainger, Sugar-Cane, II. 214. Small eggs appear … alas, too soon They burst their filmy gaol, and crawl abroad.
2. attrib. and Comb., as jail-fee, -gang, -gate, -guard, -keeper, -mate, -official, -rat, -room, -spy, -yard; jail-bleached, -like adjs.; † jail damp, the noxious exhalation formerly common in jails; jail distemper = JAIL-FEVER; jail-house (U.S.), a jail; jail money, money paid for the maintenance of a jail.
1871. J. Hay, Pike County Ball. (1880), 33. Shadowed by his *jail-bleached hair.
1636. in Crt. & Times Chas. I. (1848), II. 244. That *goal-damp of Hereford hath already killed a great many that were at the last assizes.
1745. Reid, in Phil. Trans., XLIII. 228. Two Convicts in Newgate were at the same time very ill of the putrid, infectious, malignant Fever, commonly call’d the *Gaol Distemper.
1799. Med. Jrnl., I. 90. A new and enlarged edition of Dr. J. C. Smyth’s work on the jail-distemper … is nearly ready.
a. 1715. Burnet, Own Time (1724), I. 271. They would not … pay their fines set on them, [not] so much as the *jayl fees.
1828. P. Cunningham, N. S. Wales (ed. 3), II. 321. A single magistrate can … sentence … to the *jail gang or tread-mill.
1623. Drumm. of Hawth., Cypress Grove, Wks. (1711), 123. When the *jail-gates were broken up.
1626. Bernard, Isle of Man (1627), 82. The Chiefe-Gaoler is … made the *Gaole-keeper by the Sheriffe.
a. 1743. Savage, Love in Veil, III. i. Can it … fail to tempt such fellows as jail-keepers to be perfidious to their trust?
1865. Dickens, Mut. Fr., I. xv. With a *jail-like upper rim of iron and spikes.
1828. P. Cunningham, N. S. Wales (ed. 3), II. 298. The prisoners would never be able to know who their *jailmates were.
1600. Stanford Churchw. Acc., in Antiquary (1888), May, 212. To the Constable of the hundred for *gayole money … ijs. vjd.
1821. Scott, Kenilw., iii. Thou gallows-bird—thou *jail-rat—thou friend of the hangman.
a. 1683. Oldham, Poems (1698), 197 (Jod.). The Town can scarce afford them *Jail-room now.
1818. Cobbett, Pol. Reg., XXXIII. 625. The suffering people of Lancashire … were driven by hundreds into jails and *jail-yards.
