English · Slang Attested

big house

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Prison, jail.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nhà tù, nhà giam

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

He was 38 years old and had been in the big house twice for shooting scrapes.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

The workhouse.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Nơi làm việc nặng nhọc

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

or LARGE HOUSE, the workhouse,—a phrase used by the very poor.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

nhà lao hoặc nhà cứu济

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English

Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Topics: House & home Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “big house” mean?

Prison, jail.

Is “big house” formal or informal?

big house is generally slang.

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