A prescribed or allotted period. A term of imprisonment.

A sentence or term of imprisonment or penal servitude. Also attributive (see quot. 1819).

slang. A term of hard labour; twelve months as a term of imprisonment. Also loosely, a prison sentence (frequently with preceding numeral…

colloquial. Chiefly Australian. Short for model prison n. at compounds 2. Also: time served in a model prison; esp. in to do model.

British slang. Time; esp. a prison sentence; a term of imprisonment; = time, n. 8b.

British colloquial. Penal servitude; a prison sentence. Now rare.

a judicial sentence committing an offender to prison; a period of time served in prison under such a sentence.

U.S. Criminals' slang. A prison sentence.

A prison sentence. slang.

slang (originally and chiefly U.S. Criminals' slang). A term of imprisonment of the specified number of years. Now rare.

time spent in prison, esp. as part of a long sentence served for a serious crime (cf. time, n. 8b); frequently in to do (also serve) hard time.

figurative. A prison term, usually comparatively short. slang (originally U.S.).

A prison sentence. slang (originally U.S.).

British slang. A prison sentence, time spent in prison; (also) prison. Now frequently in to do bird: to spend time in prison for an offence, to do…

Criminals' slang. A period of imprisonment; (also) a conviction leading to imprisonment.

U.S. slang. A criminal charge or conviction; (also) a prison sentence.

U.S. slang. A term of service on a ship. Also, a term in prison.

British slang. Time spent in prison; a prison sentence.

a judicial sentence requiring an offender to be imprisoned, as opposed to a fine, a community service order, etc.