Yahoo Canada Web Search

Search results

1. Dictionary

   asylum

   /əˈsʌɪləm/

   noun

   • 1. the protection granted by a state to someone who has left their home country as a political refugee: "she applied for asylum and was granted refugee status" Similar refugesanctuarysheltersafetysafe keepingprotectionsecurityimmunityhavensafe havenretreatsanctumharbourport in a stormoasissafe housefastnesshideawayhideoutboltholefoxholehiding placeden
   • ▪ shelter or protection from danger: "we provide asylum for those too ill to care for themselves" Similar refugesanctuarysheltersafetysafe keepingprotectionsecurityimmunityhavensafe havenretreatsanctumharbourport in a stormoasissafe housefastnesshideawayhideoutboltholefoxholehiding placeden
   • 2. an institution for the care of people who are mentally ill: dated "he'd been committed to an asylum" Similar psychiatric hospitalpsychiatric unithospitalhomeinstitutioninformal:nuthousefunny farmloony binbughousebooby hatchdated, offensive:mental institutionmental hospitalmental homearchaic:bedlammadhouse

   Word Origin late Middle English (in the sense ‘place of refuge’, especially for criminals): via Latin from Greek asulon ‘refuge’, from asulos ‘inviolable’, from a- ‘without’ + sulon ‘right of seizure’. Current senses date from the 18th century.

   Scrabble Points: 11

   • A

     1

   • S

     1

   • Y

     4

   • L

     1

   • U

     1

   • M

     3

   Powered by Oxford Dictionaries

   More definitions, origin and scrabble points