loony bin

American  

noun

Informal.

1. an insane asylum or the psychiatric ward of a hospital.

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loony bin British  

noun

1. slang a mental hospital or asylum

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Etymology

Origin of loony bin

First recorded in 1880–85

Example Sentences

Would I, too, be sent to the “loony bin?”

From Washington Post

Dear Amy: "I'm No Loony" reported that her folks laughed about her grandfather's post-WWII service guarding a military mental hospital, calling it a "loony bin."

From Washington Post

In what was framed as a funny anecdote, my parents and aunt repeatedly talked about my grandfather's time guarding the "loony bin."

From Washington Post

When their rounds are complete, golfers enter the privacy of a nearby scoring tent, which one player called “the loony bin.”

From New York Times

Because his father was the superintendent of a mental hospital, Mr. Holm was fond of saying that he had been born “in a loony bin,” hinting that it qualified him to be an actor.

From New York Times

Related Words

• mental health facility
• mental health institution
• psychiatric hospital