jailbreak

jailbreak — noun

IPA/ˈdʒeɪlbreɪk/
KK[dʒˈelbrˌek]IPA/ˈdʒeɪlbreɪk/
  • jailbreaksingular
  • jailbreaksplural

1. The act of removing the software restrictions on a smartphone, tablet, or other

1.nounB2
Definition

The act of removing the software restrictions on a smartphone, tablet, or other electronic device so that the owner can install programs, change settings, or use functions that the manufacturer had blocked.

Example

Tuan used a jailbreak on his iPhone to install a video player that was not in the App Store.

jailbreak on [device] + infinitive of purpose

Many users consider a jailbreak risky because it voids the device warranty.

Common collocations
  • perform a jailbreak
  • iOS jailbreak
  • untethered jailbreak
  • jailbreak tool
  • jailbreak community
Synonyms
  • unlock

    broader term; can mean removing carrier restrictions (not software restrictions)

  • rooting

    the Android equivalent of a jailbreak, giving full system access

Usage Note

The term was originally used for Apple iPhones and iPads, but it now also describes similar modifications on other devices. The term 'rooting' is used for Android devices instead of 'jailbreaking'.

Common Mistakes

I did a jailbreak to my phone.
I did a jailbreak on my phone.
use 'on', not 'to', when referring to the device

2. A carefully planned breakout from a prison, typically involving several inmates

2.nounB2
Definition

A carefully planned breakout from a prison, typically involving several inmates who work together to get free.

Example

The famous bank robber planned the jailbreak for more than six months.

countable noun with definite article 'the'

Three prisoners were caught before they could complete their jailbreak.

possessive determiner + jailbreak

Common collocations
  • plan a jailbreak
  • attempt a jailbreak
  • a daring jailbreak
  • a mass jailbreak
Synonyms
  • breakout

    more informal and dramatic; often used in news headlines

  • prison escape

    more general term that covers any escape, not just planned group escapes

  • getaway

    focuses on the flight after leaving the prison, not the act of escaping itself

Usage Note

Often describes an escape that involves several prisoners working together or a plan that took time to prepare, rather than a sudden, individual escape attempt.

jailbreak — verb

IPA/ˈdʒeɪl.breɪk/
KK[dʒˈelbrˌek]IPA/ˈdʒeɪl.breɪk/

Word family

  • jailbroken
    adjectiveC1
  • jailbreaker
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four terms describe bypassing restrictions on a device, but they apply to different platforms and types of restriction. 'Jailbreak' is used almost exclusively for Apple iOS devices (iPhone, iPad) and means removing the manufacturer's software locks to install apps, tweaks, or themes from outside the App Store. 'Rooting' is the Android equivalent — it gives the user full administrative (root) access to the operating system. 'Unlock' can mean releasing a phone from one mobile carrier's network so it works with another carrier's SIM card, which is a different kind of restriction from a jailbreak. 'Crack' is a broader term that means breaking any form of software protection, from game licenses to passwords, and often has a more negative connotation of piracy. For example, you might jailbreak an iPhone to customize its interface, but you crack a video game to play it without buying it.

jailbreak ↗rooting ↗unlock ↗crack ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • jailbreak tool
  • jailbreak method
  • jailbreak community

Phrases

  • plan a jailbreak
  • perform a jailbreak
  • use a jailbreak

Prepositions

  • jailbreak from (prison)
  • jailbreak on (a device)

Etymology

FrenchLatinOld EnglishEnglish

The word is a compound of 'jail' (which came into English from Old French 'jaiole', ultimately from Latin 'cavea' meaning 'cage') and 'break' (from Old English 'brecan'). The prison-escape sense was in use by the early 1800s. The computing sense emerged around 2007 when hobbyists found ways to bypass the software restrictions on the first iPhone, comparing the liberation of the device to breaking out of a prison.

First known use

1910

1910, in the meaning defined above Verb