Slang for a prison or jail where people are locked up after breaking the law.
American slang from the 1800s, derived from the sound of a prison cell door slamming shut. The word 'slam' originally meant to forcefully close or strike something.
Slang words for prison are actually incredibly diverse across cultures and time periods—'slammer,' 'joint,' 'pen,' 'big house'—which shows how much human creativity goes into naming places people want to escape from.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.