Asylum
31asylum — an institution for the mentally ill Originally, a place where pillage was sacrilegious, which is why there was so much fuss about Henry IF s murder of Becket. Then it became a safe place or benevolent institution. Now a shortened form of… …
32asylum — [15] Greek sulon meant ‘right of seizure’. With the addition of the negative prefix a ‘not’ this was turned into the adjective ásūlos ‘inviolable’, which in turn was nominalized as āsūlon ‘refuge’. When it first entered English, via Latin asylum …
33asylum — n. 1 sanctuary; protection, esp. for those pursued by the law (seek asylum). 2 hist. any of various kinds of institution offering shelter and support to distressed or destitute individuals, esp. the mentally ill. Phrases and idioms: political… …
34asylum — noun Etymology: Middle English, from Latin, from Greek asylon, neuter of asylos inviolable, from a + sylon right of seizure Date: 15th century 1. an inviolable place of refuge and protection giving shelter to criminals and debtors ; sanctuary 2.… …
35Asylum — Usually a specific place of refuge, e.g. a church altar: a person seeking asylum could not be removed by force. [< Gk. asulon = refuge] Cf. Abjure the realm; Sanctuary …
36asylum — I (New American Roget s College Thesaurus) n. retreat, refuge, sanctuary, shelter; home, orphanage, sanitarium, sanatorium; mental hospital, psychopathic ward. See safety, insanity, abode. II (Roget s IV) n. Syn. shelter, refuge, safety; see… …
37asylum — noun 1 (U) protection given to someone by a government because they have escaped from fighting or political trouble in their own country see also: political asylum 2 (C) old use a mental hospital …
38asylum — n 1. hospital, sanatorium, sanitarium, Fr.Ziotel Dieu; home, old folks home, old soldiers home, sailors rest, nursing home, convalescent home; mental institution, state hospital, psychiatric hospital, insane asylum, madhouse, bedlam, Fr. maison… …
39asylum — noun political asylum Syn: refuge, sanctuary, shelter, protection, immunity, a safe haven …
40asylum — a•sy•lum [[t]əˈsaɪ ləm[/t]] n. 1) psi (esp. formerly) an institution for the maintenance and care of the mentally ill, orphans, or other persons requiring specialized assistance 2) an inviolable refuge, as formerly for criminals and debtors;… …
