Definition

Noun: A person who has been imprisoned repeatedly; a habitual criminal with a history of incarceration. The term often carries a connotation of someone who is familiar with and frequently returns to jail or prison.

Usage

The word "jailbird" is a somewhat informal or colloquial term. It is used to refer to a repeat offender or a career criminal. It can be used neutrally to describe a person's history, but it often has a slightly derogatory or dismissive tone.

Examples

• The old-timers at the bar said the new troublemaker was a known jailbird.
• After his third arrest, the local papers started referring to him as a jailbird.
• The policy aimed to rehabilitate offenders so they wouldn't become lifelong jailbirds.

Advanced Usage

• The term can be used metaphorically to describe someone who feels trapped or confined, even if not in a literal prison, though this is less common.
  • After years in the corporate office, he felt like a jailbird dreaming of escape.

Variants and Related Words

• Jail (noun/verb): The place of confinement or the act of confining someone.
• Inmate (noun): A more formal and neutral term for a person confined to an institution, such as a prison or hospital.
• Convict (noun): A person found guilty of a crime and sentenced by a court.
• Recidivist (noun): A formal term for a person who relapses into crime, especially after receiving punishment or treatment.

Synonyms

• Recidivist
• Repeat offender
• Habitual criminal
• Con (informal)
• Ex-con (informal, specifically for someone released from jail)

Idioms and Phrases

• "Jailbird's lament": A hypothetical or stereotypical expression of regret or complaint from a prisoner (not a fixed idiom, but a descriptive phrase).
  • His story sounded like a jailbird's lament, full of excuses and blame.

Noun

1. a criminal who has been jailed repeatedly