gaol /d͡ʒeɪl/noun 5verb 1forms 3 noun5 •a place where people are locked up, especially for small crimes or while waiting for a trialHe was sent to jail for theft.She visited her brother in jail. •In dodgeball and related games, the area where players who have been struck by the ball are confined. •Confinement in a jail.He said Robins had not been in trouble with the law before and had no previous convictions. Jail would have an adverse effect on her and her three children as she was the main carer. — 2011 •A kind of sandbox for running a guest operating system instance. •The condition created by the requirement that a horse claimed in a claiming race not be run at another track for some period of time (usually 30 days). verb1 •To imprison, incarcerate, enjail.It has jailed environmental activists and is planning to limit the power of judicial oversight by handing a state-approved body a monopoly over bringing environmental lawsuits. — 2013 formsgaoled · gaoling · gaols