geôlier
jailer
noun zhoh-LYEH Rare
Origin: Old French gaole (jail), from Medieval Latin gabiola
Usage Note
Geôlier is an archaic or literary word for a prison guard; modern French uses gardien de prison or surveillant pénitentiaire. The feminine form is geôlière. The word descends from geôle (jail), which gave English 'gaol', making it one of the more visually striking words for learners.
Examples
"Le prisonnier supplia son geôlier de le libérer."
Natural Translation
The prisoner begged his jailer to release him.
Related Words
Explore French by topic
FrenchNow
5 min read