1. plural of gaol; British spelling of jails; places of confinement for people awaiting trial or serving sentences
Usage: British English; Standard spelling in UK, Australia, and other Commonwealth countries

1. third-person singular present tense of gaol; to put or keep in gaol; to imprison
Usage: British English; Less common than the noun form

Examples

• The city has three gaols that house over 500 inmates.
• Many gaols in Britain date back several centuries.
• The judge gaols offenders who violate the terms of their release.
• Conditions in some gaols have been criticized by human rights organizations.
• He was sentenced to five years and gaols in the local prison.
• The government announced plans to modernize aging gaols across the country.