jailer

or jail·or

[ jey-ler ]

noun

1. a person who is in charge of a jail or section of a jail.
2. a person who forcibly confines another.

jailer

/ ˈdʒeɪlə /

noun

1. a person in charge of prisoners in a jail

Other Words From

• under·jailer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of jailer¹

1250–1300; Middle English gaioler, jaioler, jailer < Old French jaiolier. See jail, -er ²

Example Sentences

One jailer wrote on the signature line that she could not be trusted with a pen.

From Los Angeles Times

After the incident, jailers cleared out the dorm — then went back later in the day to search the area for drugs.

From Los Angeles Times

In June, six inmates and two jailers at another county jail were taken to the hospital after they were exposed to a “toxic substance.”

From Los Angeles Times

One is that most sheriffs worked in their office before the became sheriffs, as a deputy or a jailer or a staff member.

From Salon

“This is not just a facility issue,” commissioner Haley Broder told The Times afterward, highlighting examples of neglect and retaliation by jailers.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• prison guard