flivver
(colloquial, dated, North American) An automobile or cart, particularly one which is old and inexpensive.
ˈflɪv.ɚDocumented since 1910s1910sSilenthistoricalCurrent127 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1917 · 1 year of recorded use20th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(colloquial, dated, North American) An automobile or cart, particularly one which is old and inexpensive.
Billy being too poor to own a car, had hired a cheap flivver for the day, and was purposely ten minutes behind the time, but to his disgust found the procession not yet started.
Origin: , early . A book titled "At the Front in a Flivver" was published in 1917. Cartoonist Tad Dorgan in 1919 claimed to have created the term in his comic strip Judge Rummy. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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#2·Apr 27, 2026
(US, military, nautical, historical, slang, derogatory) A destroyer of the United States Navy with a displacement of less than 1,000 tons.
Heard in the wild
“Ford in flivver! bsky.app/profile/dore...”
— Bluesky· May 2026
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Other words near "flivver" (F)
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