Calaboose Meaning in English

word

US

ˈkæl.əˌbus

KAL-uh-boos

UK

ˈkæl.əˌbuːs

KAL-uh-booss

Definition

An old-fashioned, slang term in American English for a small jail or local prison, especially in rural areas.

Usage & Nuances

Very informal and outdated; used mostly in American English and heard in old movies, Westerns, or as playful speech. Rarely used today—'jail' is much more common. Avoid in formal contexts.

• Spanish: calabozo - cárcel (coloquial)
• Portuguese (BR): cadeia (coloquial) - xilindró (gíria)
• Portuguese (PT): prisão (coloquial) - xadrez (gíria)
• Chinese (Simplified): 小牢房（旧式、口语） - 小监狱（口语）
• Chinese (Traditional): 小牢房（舊式、口語） - 小監獄（口語）
• Hindi: जेल (अप्रचलित/स्लैंग)
• Arabic: زنزانة (عامية) - سجن صغير (عامية)
• Bengali: পুরানো জেলখানা - ছোট কারাগার
• Russian: шарашка (разговорное) - деревенская тюрьма
• Japanese: 留置場（古い表現）- 田舎の小さな牢屋
• Vietnamese: nhà giam nhỏ (từ cũ) - trại giam quê
• Korean: 구치소(옛날식 표현) - 시골 감옥
• Turkish: küçük hapishane (eski tabir) - nezarethane
• Urdu: پرانا مقامی جیل خانہ - چھوٹا جیل
• Indonesian: penjara kecil (istilah kuno) - bui desa

Example Sentences

The sheriff locked him in the calaboose for the night.

basic

The old calaboose is next to the town hall.

basic

He spent the weekend in the calaboose.

basic

Just one prank, and I ended up in the calaboose!

natural

Back in my day, the calaboose was always full on Saturday nights.

natural

You better behave or you'll land in the calaboose!

natural