borstal

[ bawr-stuhl ]

noun

1. a school providing therapy and vocational training for delinquent boys in the United Kingdom and parts of the Commonwealth in the 20th century and continuing to operate in India and some other Commonwealth nations in the 21st century.

borstal

/ ˈbɔːstəl /

noun

1. (formerly in Britain) an informal name for an establishment in which offenders aged 15 to 21 could be detained for corrective training. Since the Criminal Justice Act 1982, they have been replaced by youth custody centres (now known as young offender institutions )
2. (formerly) a similar establishment in Australia and New Zealand

Word History and Origins

Origin of borstal¹

First recorded in 1905–10; named after Borstal, village in Kent, England

Word History and Origins

Origin of borstal¹

C20: named after Borstal , village in Kent where the first institution was founded

Example Sentences

You may find it in the little street that runs off the market place, going down towards the Borstal Institution.

From Project Gutenberg

Bertram Borstal turned out his pockets and spread their contents on the table before him.

From Project Gutenberg

It was not till he heard this that Bertram Borstal, racked with indigestion, realised the atrocious barbarity of his reprieve.

From Project Gutenberg

This led to the foundation of the Borstal scheme, which was first formally started in October 1902.

From Project Gutenberg

At Caversham there is a small proportion of the inmates who should be transferred to a Borstal institution.

From Project Gutenberg