brig

/brɪg/

/brɪg/

Other forms: brigs

A brig is a prison, especially a naval or military prison. This meaning comes from the fact that two-masted warships known as brigs were historically used as floating prisons.

The word brig is a shortened form of brigantine, "a small, two-masted ship" with large, square sails. These speedy sailing vessels were extremely common until the late 1800s, when steam ships became widely available. These days, most people in the U.S. think of a brig as a military prison, and if a Navy or Coast Guard sailor breaks the law, they'll be "thrown in the brig."

Definitions of brig

1. noun

   a penal institution (especially on board a ship)
   type of:

   penal facility, penal institution

   an institution where persons are confined for punishment and to protect the public
2. noun

   two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts
   type of:

   sailing ship, sailing vessel

   a vessel that is powered by the wind; often having several masts