English evolves, idiot.
I find Webster's first definition impossible to understand. Prison does not mean "a state of confinement", imprisonment does. Perhaps this is an old usage from old Noah's time that's been left in the number one spot. The second definition is exactly what Dick said it was. I suggest you "compare JAIL".
As for your arrogant claim that Americans "bastardize the English language" I would, as a Brit, point out several things:
- standard UK usage gives "bastardise" nowadays; the Brits bastardised the etymologically correct -ize into the French -ise in the last 50 years because they couldn't be bothered to learn (as Americans have to) which verbs require -ise (advise, for example);
- similarly, most of what the Brits consider "bastardisation" by the Americans, is actually lack of the bastardisation that the Brits have applied, changing gotten to got, for example;
- there have probably been just as many new words introduced into the language either side of the pond over the last three hundred years;
- grammatically, the Americans speak a much purer version of English than Brits do - vis the use of the present subjunctive which has all but died out in the UK, together with the use of the genitive case before gerunds; but you're a Brit so have never heard of subjunctives, gerunds or genitive cases. A contrived example "US: I came thanks to John's requesting that I be here" cf. "UK: I came thanks to John requesting that I am here"
- think yourself lucky that the Americans speak English, not French, German or Spanish, otherwise you'd have to get off your fat arse and learn another language to get around the world, like everyone else in the world does.