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body shop

American  

noun

  1. a factory or machine shop in which bodies for vehicles, as automobiles, trucks, or the like, are manufactured, repaired, etc.

  2. Slang.

    1. an employment agency, school, or the like that provides large numbers of workers, trainees, recent graduates, etc., to fill entry-level jobs.

    2. a gym, health club, or the like where people may exercise, do bodybuilding, etc.

    3. a singles bar.


body shop British  

noun

  1. a place where the bodywork of motor vehicles is built or repaired

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of body shop

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"They give us everything -- shares, good facilities," the body shop worker told AFP.

From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026

That’s where the customer pays the body shop directly while the insurance company never gets involved with a claim — and may not even know of the incident.

From MarketWatch • Dec. 23, 2025

There are nonwhite characters, like Rory’s best friend, Lane, who is Korean, and the unfortunately named Gypsy, who runs the local auto body shop.

From Slate • Apr. 14, 2025

JLR said the factory upgrades would include robots, a new body shop capable of producing 500 vehicle bodies per day and new ovens for drying paint.

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2024

Ruby and her son, Eliu, Marvin LaBlue, and Claudio Garcia were at work in the body shop on Benny Maestas’ 1948 Pontiac which had killed a horse the night before.

From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols