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bodywork

American  
[bod-ee-wurk] / ˈbɒd iˌwɜrk /

noun

  1. the work involved in making or repairing automobile or other vehicle bodies.

  2. the body of an automobile or other vehicle, especially with regard to the details or the quality of its construction.


bodywork British  
/ ˈbɒdɪˌwɜːk /

noun

  1. the external shell of a motor vehicle

  2. any form of therapy in which parts of the body are manipulated, such as massage

"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 bodywork

First recorded in 1905–10; body + work

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.

See Examples For:

In my opinion there is a maximum ratio of black reflective surfaces to bodywork, beyond which your car starts to look like a bass boat.

From The Wall Street Journal May 30, 2026

It was designed by Pininfarina with bodywork by Scaglietti, both names immediately recognizable to Ferrari cognoscenti.

From The Wall Street Journal Feb. 16, 2026

And while Vargas clearly believes in the deeper bodywork, she hasn’t lost sight of the basics.

From Los Angeles Times Dec. 9, 2025

McLaren put a lot of effort into cooling on their 2025 car, to ensure that it cooled efficiently without needing to open up holes in the bodywork, which causes a performance deficit.

From BBC Oct. 28, 2025

But there was a van outside her house, an unmarked vehicle that nevertheless said “official” in every line of the gray unwindowed metal of the bodywork.

From "The Book of Dust: La Belle Sauvage" by Philip Pullman

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