paddy wagon

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A police van for transporting prisoners.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English
Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “paddy wagon” mean?

A police van for transporting prisoners.

Is “paddy wagon” formal or informal?

paddy wagon is generally slang.