bumper car

American  

noun

1. (in an amusement park) a small, carlike electric vehicle with an encircling rubber bumper that one maneuvers around an enclosed arena while purposely bumping other vehicles.

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bumper car British  

noun

1. Also called: Dodgem.  a low-powered electrically propelled vehicle driven and bumped against similar cars in a special rink at a funfair

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Etymology

Origin of bumper car

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Vences also plays soccer, so those skills certainly can help in the video game when trying to hit a soccer ball into the net with a bumper car.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 24, 2025

Seaside has long been Oregon’s enduring beach town, the go-to spot for traditions like kite flying, bumper car riding, ice cream eating and so much more.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 6, 2021

In an interview in early July, Mr. Tolia had the somewhat rattled demeanor of a man who had been on a bumper car ride for three days.

From New York Times • Aug. 5, 2021

The former amusement park’s bumper car pavilion has taken on new life as the setting for weekly outdoor dances.

From Washington Post • Jul. 23, 2021

We sat in a bumper car, laughing every time another car banged into us.

From "A Place at the Table" by Saadia Faruqi and Laura Shovan