jailer

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English gayoler, gayler, jayler, from Old French jaiolier, gaiolier, from jaiole. By surface analysis, jail +‎ -er.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ˈd͡ʒeɪlə(ɹ)/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Rhymes: -eɪlə(ɹ)

Noun

jailer (plural jailers)

  1. One who enforces confinement in a jail or prison.
    • 1775, Samuel Palmer, The Nonconformist's Memorial‎[1]:
      Sometimes some of the ejected ministers preached to them privately, and now and then the jailer allowed Mr. H. to go out in the night to preach to them, and administer the Lord's Supper.
    • 1883, Silvio Pellico, chapter 32, in My Ten Years' Imprisonment‎[2]:
      But the next morning came, and my coffee was brought by her mother; the next, and the next, by the under jailers; and Angiola continued grievously ill.
    • 2001, Sir William Mitchell Ramsay, St. Paul: The Traveler and Roman Citizen‎[3], page 176:
      The jailer was also roused by the earthquake and came to the outer door; he was perhaps a soldier, or at least had something of Roman discipline, giving him presence of mind.

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Middle English

Noun

jailer

  1. alternative form of gayoler
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