Definitions

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

  • noun An automobile, especially one that is small, inexpensive, and old.

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

  • noun An automobile, particularly one which is old and inexpensive.

Etymologies

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

[Origin unknown.]

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Examples

  • If Marathon prefers not to call a flivver a flivver, I shall not expostulate.

    Mince Pie Christopher Morley 1923

  • Alice drove her "flivver" at Mr. Bunn, who was properly knocked down and looked after by Ruth.

    The Moving Picture Girls in War Plays Or, The Sham Battles at Oak Farm Laura Lee Hope

  • It was with a profound feeling of relief that His Honour lifted the lady from their modest little "flivver," for once inside the Pennington house, he felt, he would be free from a peculiarly devilish brand of persecution inaugurated by his wife about three months previously.

    The Valley of the Giants 1918

  • Several "flivver" ambulances stood across the way, new and roughly made, destined for the front.

    Tom Slade Motorcycle Dispatch Bearer Percy Keese Fitzhugh 1913

  • Motor-cars were rare in this remote range country and confined almost solely to the sort of "flivver" which is not entirely dependent on roads.

    Shoe-Bar Stratton Joseph Bushnell Ames 1903

  • "flivver" as it bounced and squeaked and rattled and splashed its way along.

    Galusha the Magnificent Joseph Crosby Lincoln 1907

  • I parked my flivver outside his crib in Liepzig, and banged on the door.

    Egg Hunt Thomas Pluck 2011

  • “A jitney we were on last night, a real broken-down old flivver.”

    DIAMOND RUBY Joseph Wallace 2010

  • “A jitney we were on last night, a real broken-down old flivver.”

    DIAMOND RUBY Joseph Wallace 2010

  • “A jitney we were on last night, a real broken-down old flivver.”

    DIAMOND RUBY Joseph Wallace 2010

Comments

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  • The word flivver is most commonly meant to indicate a Ford Model T. In a more general sense, a small, cheap car is meant.

    June 10, 2007

  • Henry Ford was called "The Flivver King"....

    June 11, 2007