Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

black maria

/blæk məˈɹaɪə/

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.31 in modern English

Syllables: black- -maria
IPA: /blæk məˈɹaɪə/

20

Scrabble Score

10

Letters

3

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A police van for transporting prisoners.

Slang

Example Sentences

"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."
"You know it means no mercy / They caught him with a gun / No need for the Black Maria / Goodbye to the Brixton sun"

Etymology

Unknown, though such vans were traditionally painted black. First attested in the 1830s.

Usage

Slang

Inflected Forms

Black Marias (plural)

Phrases

black and white police vehicle

Frequently Paired Words

black and white police vehicle

Synonyms

paddy wagon hearts police van police wagon patrol wagon wagon

Rhymes With

via maria maya isaiah messiah jeremiah shia playa hiya josiah gaia maia

Questions

How do you pronounce black maria?: The recorded pronunciation is /blæk məˈɹaɪə/.
What does black maria mean?: A police van for transporting prisoners.
Where does black maria come from?: Unknown, though such vans were traditionally painted black. First attested in the 1830s.

How to pronounce black maria

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “black maria”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/blæk məˈɹaɪə/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “black maria”.
Repeat and practice — Say “black maria” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.