jailer
jailer — noun
- jailersingular
- jailersplural
1. someone whose job it is to watch over prisoners and prevent them from escaping a
someone whose job it is to watch over prisoners and prevent them from escaping a prison
The jailer unlocked the cell door and placed a tray of food inside.
simple past describing a daily routine in a prison
New jailers at the state prison must complete a ten-week training program.
After twenty years as a jailer, Elena knew every echo in the corridor by heart.
The union negotiated better pay for jailers who work the overnight shift.
Diego became a jailer because he wanted a stable government job with a pension.
- prison guard
more common, everyday term used in both British and American English
- corrections officer
modern formal title in the US, replacing the older term 'guard'
- gaoler
British English spelling variant of 'jailer', now less common
用法筆記
Also spelled 'gaoler' especially in British English. This sense is the concrete, literal meaning; the figurative meaning (sense 2) describes a country rather than a person.
常見錯誤
2. a country or government that imprisons a very large number of people, especially
a country or government that imprisons a very large number of people, especially those who disagree with its policies or belong to a particular group
In recent years, the country has been called the world's top jailer of political activists.
passive: be called [modifier] jailer of [group]
A recent report named Iran as the top jailer of environmental activists.
The government does not want to be seen as a jailer of its own citizens.
UN data shows North Korea is the leading jailer of religious minorities in the region.
文法句型
[modifier] jailer of [group]
用法筆記
Almost always used with a modifier such as 'top', 'leading', or 'world's', followed by 'of' and a noun group describing the people being imprisoned. Common in human rights reporting and political analysis.