big house

English

Pronunciation

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Noun

big house (plural big houses)

1. (slang) Prison, jail.
   • 1948, "The End of Bad Boy Collins," Time, 15 Nov.,

     He was 38 years old and had been in the big house twice for shooting scrapes.

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see big,‎ house.

Usage notes

• Always preceded by "the".