noun
- a person who has been imprisoned or who spends much time in prison; a habitual criminal.
Usage: chiefly British; informal; gaol is the British spelling of jail
Examples
- He was known as a gaolbird after serving three separate sentences.
- The detective recognized the gaolbird from his previous arrests.
- She had become a gaolbird by her early twenties due to repeated offenses.
- The reformed gaolbird now works as a counselor for at-risk youth.
- Local authorities were familiar with every gaolbird in the region.