John Brown
Preserved but no longer current.
An American abolitionist who led a body of men to free Negro slaves at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, October 16th, 1859. The famous Union song of the Civil War, "John Brown's Body,*' made him a legend.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “John Brown” mean?
An American abolitionist who led a body of men to free Negro slaves at Harper's Ferry, Virginia, October 16th, 1859. The famous Union song of the Civil War, "John Brown's Body,*' made him a legend.
Is “John Brown” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.