/ ˈdaʊnɪŋ striːt; NAmE / noun
[ sing. ] (not used with the ) a way of referring to the British prime minister and government, taken from the name of the street where the prime minister lives :
Downing Street issued a statement late last night.
For more information see the Cultural Guide
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WORD ORIGIN
named after the original developer of the site, Sir George Downing ( c. 1624–84), a diplomat under both Oliver Cromwell and Charles II.