noun
calaboose
KAL-uh-boos/ˈkæləˌbus/
A jail, especially a small local one.
The compact calaboose has a locked barred doorway and a narrow bunk.
Etymology
Calabozo meant “dungeon,” so the inherited connection is confinement. In American English, calaboose denotes a common jail or local lockup rather than specifically a dungeon.
More examples
- The old calaboose stood behind the courthouse.
- He spent the night in the calaboose after the brawl.
- The western comedy turns the calaboose into a place of constant confusion.
Forms
calaboose · calabooses
Similar words
- jail
- The ordinary term, while calaboose is informal and often old-fashioned.