Log in or Sign up
  1. spiv love

Definitions

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

  1. n. Chiefly British Slang One, usually unemployed, who lives by one's wits.
  2. n. Chiefly British Slang One who shirks work or responsibility; a slacker.

Wiktionary

  1. n. UK, dated a smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods
  2. n. UK, dated a flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits
  3. n. UK, dated in Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief
  4. n. UK, dated a slacker; one who shirks responsibility

WordNet 3.0

  1. n. a person without employment who makes money by various dubious schemes; goes about smartly dressed and having a good time

Etymologies

  1. Perhaps from spiff, spiffy. 'Spiv' was the nickname of Henry Bagster, a Londoner arrested a number of times in 1904-6 for activities as described below, and may have been the archetype. (Wiktionary)
  2. Dialectal spif, dandified, dandy. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)

Examples

Show 10 more examples...

Lists

These user-created lists contain the word ‘spiv’.

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • brtom Author of the thunderous ongoing recitatif, the spiv recital, its shill featurettes and occasions... John Latta, Isola di Rifiuti Jun 5, 2007

Tweets

Looking for tweets for spiv.

‘spiv’ has been looked up 2831 times, loved by 1 person, added to 20 lists, commented on 1 time, and has a Scrabble score of 9.