limousine

[lim-uh-zeen, lim-uh-zeen]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR limousine ON THESAURUS.COM

noun

any large, luxurious automobile, especially one driven by a chauffeur.

a large sedan or small bus, especially one for transporting passengers to and from an airport, between train stations, etc.

a former type of automobile having a permanently enclosed compartment for from three to five persons, with a roof projecting forward over the driver's seat in front.

Origin of limousine

1900–05; < French: kind of motorcar, special use of limousine long cloak, so called because worn by the shepherds of Limousin

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for limousine

transportation, auto, van, truck, bus, convertible, taxi, limousine, wagon, ride, machine, pickup, motor, automobile, jeep, compact, lemon, wreck, buggy, crate

Examples from the Web for limousine

Contemporary Examples of limousine

"She looked me in the eye," one limousine driver recalled, surprised and grateful.
The Day the Fairytale Died
Marilyn Johnson
July 12, 2014
Abdi worked with his brother in a mobile phone store, as a DJ, and most recently, a limousine driver.
Barkhad Abdi: From Limo Driver to Oscar Contender
Tim Teeman
February 23, 2014
Knowing of their poverty, Jackson even sent a limousine to drive the entire family.
Gavin Arvizo’s New Beginning: Jackson Abuse Accuser Gets Married at 24
Diane Dimond
December 9, 2013
When Edie took her limousine downtown to join them, they found her perfectly capable of holding her own.
Bob Dylan and the Writing of ‘Blonde on Blonde’ at the Chelsea Hotel
Sherill Tippins
December 3, 2013
The limousine was a couple hundred yards from the western end of the bridge when it went up in flames.
Still No Explanation for Horrific Limo Fire
Christine Pelisek
May 6, 2013

Historical Examples of limousine

Madeline climbed in beside her parent and the limousine rolled away.
The Portygee
Joseph Crosby Lincoln
At the same instant the limousine leaped to full speed ahead.
The Mind Master
Arthur J. Burks
The man caught him under the arms and tossed him into the tonneau of a limousine at the curb.
The Mind Master
Arthur J. Burks
As she stepped into the limousine, she said to John: “Home, please.”
The Wall Street Girl
Frederick Orin Bartlett
As John started to close the door of the limousine, Frances glanced at her watch.
The Wall Street Girl
Frederick Orin Bartlett

British Dictionary definitions for limousine

limousine

noun

any large and luxurious car, esp one that has a glass division between the driver and passengers

a former type of car in which the roof covering the rear seats projected over the driver's compartment

Word Origin for limousine

C20: from French, literally: cloak (originally one worn by shepherds in Limousin), hence later applied to the car

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 limousine

1902, "enclosed automobile with open driver's seat," from French limousine, from Limousin, region in central France, originally an adjective referring to its chief city, Limoges, from Latin Lemovices, name of a people who lived near there, perhaps named in reference to their elm spears or bows. The Latin adjective form of the name, Lemovicinus, is the source of French Limousin.

Modern automobile meaning evolved from perceived similarity of the car's profile to a type of hood worn by the inhabitants of that province. Since 1930s, synonymous in American English with "luxury car;" applied from 1959 to vehicles that take people to and from large airports. Limousine liberal first attested 1969.