English

Noun

big house ‎(plural big houses)

1. (slang) Prison, jail.
   • 1948, "The End of Bad Boy Collins," Time, 15 Nov.,

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

2. Used other than as an idiom: see big,‎ house.

Usage notes

• Always preceded by "the".