Standard Lemma guide

jailbird

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A prisoner or an ex-prisoner.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: jail bird, gaolbird

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: criminal, felon, crook, outlaw, malefactor

History

Etymology

From jail + bird, circa 1600. Compare gallows bird.

Across languages

Translations

34 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: затворник (zatvornik) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Danish: vaneforbryder — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Danish: recidivist — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Danish: fængselsfugl — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Finnish: vanki — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Finnish: entinen vanki — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Finnish: vankilakundi — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • French: taulard — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • French: taularde — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • French: tôlard — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • French: tôlarde — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Georgian: პატიმარი (ṗaṭimari) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Georgian: ტუსაღი (ṭusaɣi) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Knacki — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Ex Knacki — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Knastbruder — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Knastschwester — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Knastologe — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Knastologin — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Häftling — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • German: Ex-Häftling — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Norwegian Bokmål: fengselsfugl — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: fengselsfugl — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Polish: kryminalista — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: заключённый (zaključónnyj) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: заключённая (zaključónnaja) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: ареста́нт (arestánt) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: ареста́нтка (arestántka) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: рецидиви́ст (recidivíst) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Russian: у́рка (úrka) — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Spanish: presidiario — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Spanish: presidiario reincidente — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Spanish: reincidente — prisoner or ex-prisoner
  • Ottoman Turkish: اسیر (esir) — prisoner or ex-prisoner