Plural of brig; two-masted sailing ships, or informal references to jails or confinement areas on ships.
From the word 'brig,' shortened from 'brigantine' (Italian 'brigantino'). Originally a naval ship type, the term also came to mean jail, especially in naval contexts—the 'brig' was originally where officers were confined on ships.
The word 'brig' cleverly does double duty—it's both a type of ship AND the naval jail, which probably came from the fact that these ships had secure holds that could confine prisoners or troublemakers!
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