Slammer
/ˈslæm.ər/noun
A jail or prison; also a very hard hit or strike.
Did you know?The prison sense of *slammer* is American slang built from *slam*, a word of imitative origin that became linked to violent closing, striking, and confinement.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*slei-
“to strike, hit, or beat”
Old English
English
slam
“to strike or shut with force”
18th–19th Century
English
slammer
“a violent blow or hard slam”
Late 19th Century
English
slammer
“slang for a prison or jail”
Modern English
English
slammer
“informal term for prison; also a forceful hit or blow”