Jail is a place where people stay when they break the law. They cannot leave until the police or court say so. It is often a short-term place for criminals.
He was sent to jail last Monday.
The thief stayed in jail for one year.
To jail someone means to send them to a jail building. This usually happens when a person breaks the law. It is a punishment by the government.
They will jail him for stealing the car.
She was jailed last year for fraud.
The word jail can also mean the small room inside a jail building. It is where a prisoner stays alone or with others. These rooms are often small and simple.
He stayed in a small jail for two days.
The jail was dark and very cold.
Used figuratively, to jail something means to keep it inside a place from which it cannot get out. It means trap or confine. This is not about law but about holding tightly.
The metal cage jails the small bird inside.
Her legs felt jailed by the heavy boots.
Jail can also mean a short-term place where people stay before their trial or before they go to prison. It is not for long punishment but for waiting.
She was held in jail for three nights.
The police put him in jail after his arrest.
In a figurative way, jail means a hard or bad situation where someone feels stuck or has no freedom. It means the person feels trapped but not in a real prison building.
Living there felt like a jail to me.
His job was a jail with no freedom.
To jail someone can mean holding them in police custody for a short time, often before a trial or charge. It is not a long sentence but a temporary hold for legal reasons.
He was jailed overnight for questioning.
The suspect was jailed before trial.
