drive-by

[drahyv-bahy]

noun

plural

drive-bys 

1. the action of driving by a specified locality, object, etc..

   a drive-by of Nelson's Monument.

2. a drive-by shooting.

   The gang member was killed in a drive-by.

adjective

1. consisting of or featuring a drive-by.

   We boarded the sightseeing bus for a drive-by tour of the nation's capital.

2. occurring while driving past a person, object, etc..

   a drive-by shooting.

3. casual; superficial; offhand.

   a drive-by news analysis.

4. involving a brief stay in a hospital, clinic, etc..

   a drive-by mastectomy.

Word History and Origins

Origin of drive-by¹

Noun, adj. use of verb phrase drive by

Example Sentences

The heavy-handed reaction of security forces to the protests—jail-cell beatings, drive-by abductions and outright killings—has intensified the protesters’ fury.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Four months after the young women turned up dead, Echeverria was arrested as a suspect in a drive-by gang shooting.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

This is not a drive-by charity; we’re here for the long haul.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Viewed from Orange County, L.A. is the flagship of the fleet of the absurd, the dreamland of pitchmen and grifters, the progenitor of wicked Hollywood glitz and drive-by shootings.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In March 1998, Eagle was only 17 and using crutches to get around after he was wounded in a drive-by shooting.

Read more on Los Angeles Times