Phrase guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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noun
A religious facility in which prostitutes and unmarried mothers were kept, usually against their will, as a source of forced labour to launder clothes.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Ireland, historical
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: Magdalene asylum
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: labour camp, workhouse
History
Named after Mary Magdalene, traditionally associated with prostitution and a patron saint of penitent sinners.
