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spiv

American  
[spiv] / spɪv /

noun

British Informal.

  1. a petty criminal, especially a black marketeer, racetrack tout, or petty thief.

spiv British  
/ spɪv /

noun

  1. slang a person who makes a living by underhand dealings or swindling; black marketeer

"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

Other Word Forms

  • spivvy adjective

Etymology

Origin of spiv

1885–90; back formation from dial. spiving smart; perhaps akin to spiffy

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.