gaolbird

/ˈdʒeɪlˌbɜrd/
noun
  1. A person who has been in prison many times; a habitual criminal.
    • The old gaolbird was known to every police officer in the city.
    • After his fifth arrest, the newspapers called him a hardened gaolbird.
    • The movie tells the story of a gaolbird trying to start a new life.
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