penitentiary
noun/ˌpenɪˈtenʃəri/
/ˌpenɪˈtenʃəri/
(plural penitentiaries)
(also informal pen)
(both North American English)- a prison
- The execution was carried out at the state penitentiary in Fort Madison.
Word Originlate Middle English (as a term in ecclesiastical law): from medieval Latin paenitentiarius, from Latin paenitentia ‘repentance’. The current usage dates from the early 19th cent.
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penitentiary