a house of correction; jail, esp for minor offences
Word origin
C16: after Bridewell (originally, St Bride's Well), a house of correction in London
bridewell in American English
(ˈbraidˌwel, -wəl)
noun
Brit
a prison
Word origin
[1545–55; after a prison that formerly stood near the church of St. Bride in London]This word is first recorded in the period 1545–55. Other words that entered Englishat around the same time include: articulate, integral, rounding, spiral, sweeten