Red Light District
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
That quarter of a large city where brothels are located, these houses being frequently indicated by a red light out- side.
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 “Red Light District” mean?
That quarter of a large city where brothels are located, these houses being frequently indicated by a red light out- side.
Is “Red Light District” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.