Black Maria
(slang) A police van for transporting prisoners.
blæk məˈɹaɪəDocumented since 1830sSilenthistorical123 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1830 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 26, 2026
(slang) A police van for transporting prisoners.
Origin: , though such vans were traditionally painted black. First attested in the 1830s. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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