Definition

Noun: A temporary detention area within a courthouse or police station where individuals are confined while awaiting a court hearing, trial, or transfer to a longer-term facility.

Usage

A "holding cell" is a specific type of short-term confinement space. It is used to describe the physical room or area where an accused person is kept in custody for a brief period, typically for procedural reasons related to the judicial process.

Examples

• The defendant waited in a holding cell before being brought before the judge.
• After arrest, suspects are often placed in a holding cell at the police station for processing.
• The courthouse has several holding cells for prisoners attending hearings.

Advanced Usage

• "to be held in a holding cell": This is a common collocation describing the state of being detained in such a space.
  • The protesters were held in a holding cell overnight.

Variants and Related Words

• Detention cell (n): A very similar term for a room used for temporary confinement.
• Lockup (n): Informal term for a jail or a cell, often implying a temporary holding facility.

Synonyms

• Temporary jail
• Courthouse jail
• Bullpen (informal, especially in a police context)

Antonyms

• Release
• Freedom

Related Phrases

• "In custody": The legal state of being detained by law enforcement, which often involves being placed in a holding cell.
  • He was taken into custody and placed in a holding cell.

Noun

1. a jail in a courthouse where accused persons can be confined during a trial