Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun An old, dilapidated motor vehicle, especially an automobile.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun An old, dilapidated automobile.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun a car that is old and unreliable

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Origin unknown.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Origin unknown. Is it possible that the non Spanish-speaking New Orleans-based longshoremen, referring to scrapped autos circa 1920 destined for Jalapa, Mexico scrapyards, pronounced the destination on the palettes "jalopies" rather than multiples or possessive of Jalapa?

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Examples

Comments

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  • Not used in Australia though it's a grand word.

    October 8, 2008

  • This word makes me giggle--just the sequence of sounds. It seems like it should be a blobby type of jelly.

    November 13, 2008

  • I agree this is a fabulous word.

    March 9, 2009