noun, phrase
General Slang
black maria
· noun, phrase · police
A police van for transporting prisoners.
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Definitions
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An older name for the police van — the prisoner transport with no windows. Used since the 1840s in the US and UK. Folk etymology says it's named after Maria Lee, a formidable Black boarding-house keeper in Boston who'd help haul troublemakers off to the lock-up.
“They marched the lot of them straight into the back of the black maria.”
by community
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black maria In A Sentence
They marched the lot of them straight into the back of the black maria.
Origin & Usage
1840s; folk etymology credits Maria Lee, a Black Boston boarding-house keeper said to have helped police subdue and transport drunks.
Variants
Black Maria
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