gaoler

G2A1O1L1E1R1

noun

Dated spelling of jailer.

Similar
prison guardjailerjailorscrewturnkey
RareScrabble 7
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noungaoler (plural gaolers)

plural gaolers

  1. CommonwealthDated spelling of jailer.

    The Grange is not a prison, Ellen, and you are not my gaoler.

    1847 December, Ellis Bell [pseudonym; Emily Brontë], chapter XXIII, in Wuthering Heights: […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Thomas Cautley Newby, […], →OCLC
    2 more examples

    One very important section of the denizens of Darkest England are the criminals and the semi-criminals. They are more or less predatory, and are at present shepherded by the police and punished by the gaoler.

    1890, William Booth, chapter 7, in In Darkest England and the Way Out

    A gaoler struck him, pushing him back in place in the hopeless, helpless line of prisoners.

    1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 41

Synonyms & antonyms

nounsomeone who guards prisoners

Similar
prison guardjailerjailorscrewturnkey
Broader
law officerpeace officerkeeper
Also see
jailerprison guardprison officerscrewturnkey

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

By surface analysis, gaol + -er.

Full word history & related roots →

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with gaoler

taylortrailersailortailorscalarmailernailerwhalerscalerjailerTraylorvelarmalarwailerbrailerderailerbraillerloudhailerrailerunveilerwaler
All rhymes →

Anagrams

galoreregalogaleroLoregagoaler
Cite this entry
APA

gaoler. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gaoler

MLA

“gaoler.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gaoler. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “gaoler,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/gaoler.

Source: gaoler on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.