Spiv Definition
spĭv
noun
A man who lives by his wits, without doing any regular or honest work, esp. one engaged in petty, shady dealings.
Webster's New World
One who shirks work or responsibility; a slacker.
American Heritage
(UK, dated) A smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods.
Wiktionary
(UK, dated) A flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits.
Wiktionary
(UK, dated) In Scotland Yard usage, a low and common thief.
Wiktionary
Other Word Forms of Spiv
Noun
Singular:
spiv
Plural:
spivsOrigin of Spiv
-
Perhaps from spiff, spiffy. 'Spiv' was the nickname of Henry Bagster, a Londoner arrested a number of times in 1904-6 for activities as described below, and may have been the archetype.
From Wiktionary
Dialectal spif dandified, dandy
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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