carcelero

Old Spanish

Etymology

From Latin carcerārius, from carcer (“prison”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɾt͡seˈleɾo/

Noun

carcelero m (plural carceleros)

1. jailkeeper, prison warden
   • c. 1200, Almeric, Fazienda de Ultramar, f. 6v. col. 1:

     e fue nr̃o ſẽnor cõ ioſep e diol ſu gr̃a e ouo grãt amor cõ el car̃elero.

     [E fue nuestro Sennor con Josep e dio-l su gracia e ovo grant amor con el carcelero.]

     and the Lord was with Joseph and gave him grace and great favor with the jailer.

Antonyms

• preso (“prisoner”)

Descendants

• Spanish: carcelero

Spanish

Etymology

Inherited from Old Spanish carcelero. By surface analysis, cárcel +‎ -ero.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kaɾθeˈleɾo/ [kaɾ.θeˈle.ɾo] (Equatorial Guinea, Spain)
• IPA^(key): /kaɾseˈleɾo/ [kaɾ.seˈle.ɾo] (Latin America, Philippines)
• Rhymes: -eɾo
• Syllabification: car‧ce‧le‧ro

Adjective

carcelero (feminine carcelera, masculine plural carceleros, feminine plural carceleras)

1. (relational) jail, prison

   Synonym: carcelario

Noun

carcelero m (plural carceleros, feminine carcelera, feminine plural carceleras)

1. jailer, warden, prison guard

   Synonym: guardiacárcel

Further reading

• “carcelero”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025