Black Maria
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A police van for transporting prisoners.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The Upper Ten Thousand have plenty of cash—
At the Central Park, on the “Drive,” cut a dash;
They have their light wagons, fast horses beside;
In the free “Black Maria” the Lower Ten ride.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
the sombre van in which prisoners are conveyed from the police court to prison.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Black Maria” mean?
A police van for transporting prisoners.
Is “Black Maria” formal or informal?
Black Maria is generally slang.