bridewell
English
Etymology
From Bridewell (named after a well dedicated to St Bride), an area of London that once had a "house of correction".
Noun
bridewell (plural bridewells) (Sometimes capitalised)
- (dated in Britain, Ireland, rare elsewhere) A small prison, or a police station that has cells.
- 1983, “The Wicklow Boy”, in The Time Has Come, performed by Christy Moore:
- Others in the Bridewell heard him screaming. Even prison doctors could see. His injuries were not self-inflicted. Those who tipped the scales did not agree.
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- 2002, Joseph O'Conner, Star of the Sea, Vintage 2003, p. xix:
- Two Fermanagh girls who never laughed were certain that he must have served time in a bridewell, so cold was his expression and so calloused his small hands.
Usage notes
- Several English cities have streets named "Bridewell" where a police station is located.
Quotations
- For quotations using this term, see Citations:bridewell.