Meanings
plural casual wards
- historicalThe section of a workhouse where itinerants and tramps could be accommodated for one night.
1931, Eric Blair (the real name of George Orwell), "Hop-picking" in The New Statesman of 17th October 1931. It is no wonder that itinerant agricultural workers travel on the toby and sleep in casual wards between jobs.
Synonyms: spike
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe section of a workhouse where itinerants and tramps could be accommodated for one night.
Cite this entry
casual ward. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/casual%20ward
“casual ward.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/casual%20ward. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “casual ward,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/casual%20ward.
Source: casual ward on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.