sundown town

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A place or jurisdiction that prohibits or discourages a certain class of people, typically a certain race or ethnicity, from living there or remaining there after sundown, or, in some cases, from visiting during the day.

Word forms

sundown town sundown towns

Etymology

After signs posted at town entrances warning that “colored people” (among other terms) were required to leave town by sundown.

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