steel
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.
Register: slang
Examples
I was lugged before the beak, who gave me six doss in the steel. [...] six months in the Bastille (the old House of Corrections), Coldbath Fields.
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).
Common questions
What does “steel” mean?
Coldbath Fields Prison in London, closed in 1877.
Is “steel” formal or informal?
steel is generally slang.