Meaning
clink, slammer
- A prison or jail, especially seen as a dark or unpleasant cell
In a sentence
Se continui a rubare nei negozi, finirai dritto in gattabuia prima o poi.
If you keep shoplifting, you'll end up straight in the clink sooner or later.
La polizia ha sbattuto il ladro in gattabuia dopo un lungo inseguimento.
The police threw the thief in the slammer after a long chase.
Nessuno vuole passare il resto dei suoi giorni rinchiuso in gattabuia.
Nobody wants to spend the rest of their days locked up in the slammer.
Word forms (2)
| Word | Word forms |
|---|---|
| gattabuia | feminine · singular |
| gattabuie | feminine · plural |
Usage notes
- Informal: typical of colloquial speech, storytelling, and journalistic irony.
- Almost always used in the singular with verbs like finire in, mettere in, cacciare in.