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definitions

chav

[ chav ]
/ tʃæv /

noun Chiefly British Slang: Disparaging and Offensive.

a person who wears fashionable brands, flashy jewelry, etc., but is regarded as having bad or lower-class taste.

Nearby words

  1. chautemps,
  2. chautemps, camille,
  3. chauvinism,
  4. chauvinist,
  5. chauvinistic,
  6. chavannes,
  7. chavannes, puvis de,
  8. chavette,
  9. chavez,
  10. chavez, cesar estrada

Origin of chav

1995-2000; perhaps < Romany chavo ‘boy, youth’ or chavi ‘baby, child’
Related formschav·ish, chav·vy, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for chav

chav

/ (tʃæv) /

noun

Southern English informal, derogatory a young working-class person whose tastes, although sometimes expensive, are considered vulgar by some
Derived Formschavish, adjective

Word Origin for chav

perhaps from Romany chavi a child
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

Word Origin and History for chav

chav

n.

British slang, "antisocial youth," by 2004, of unknown origin.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper