prisoner
UK: ˈprɪzənə | US: ˈprɪzənər
n. a person legally held in prison as a punishment or awaiting trial
n. a person captured or confined against their will (e.g., a prisoner of war)
n. (figurative) someone or something restricted or trapped by a situation
prisoner = prison<place of confinement> + er<agent noun suffix>
- prison: From Old French prisoun (later prison), derived from Latin prehensionem (a seizing, arrest), from prehendere (to seize).
- er: A suffix forming agent nouns (e.g., "teacher," "runner"), from Old English -ere, Proto-Germanic -ārijaz.
Etymology Origin:
The word traces back to Latin prehendere (to grasp), reflecting the concept of "seizing" someone for confinement. Over time, Old French prisoun evolved into "prison," and the suffix -er was added to denote "one who is confined." The term originally emphasized physical capture but expanded metaphorically (e.g., "prisoner of love").
The prisoner escaped through a tunnel dug over months.
Soldiers were held as prisoners of war for three years.
She felt like a prisoner in her own home during the lockdown.
The activist called himself a prisoner of conscience.
The bird, trapped in the cage, was a prisoner of its owner’s whims.