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Magdalene laundry
Reference material by Wiktionary contributors. This retains its source identity and is not 411 news reporting.
English
Etymology
Named after Mary Magdalene, traditionally associated with prostitution and a patron saint of penitent sinners.
Noun
en historical chiefly Ireland A religious facility in which prostitutes and unmarried mothers were kept, usually against their will, as a source of forced labour to launder clothes.
en Magdalene asylum
en labour camp workhouse
Further reading
en eponyms