limousine

noun

lim·​ou·​sine ˈli-mə-ˌzēn  ˌli-mə-ˈzēn 

1

: a large luxurious often chauffeur-driven sedan that usually has a glass partition separating the driver's seat from the passenger compartment

2

: a large vehicle for transporting passengers to and from an airport

Examples of limousine in a Sentence

The bride and groom rode in a limousine from the church to the reception hall.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Secret Service reportedly whisked Reagan off the 16th hole and into a bulletproof limousine, but not before the president phoned the clubhouse to try and negotiate with his assailant. —Nicole Sganga, CBS News, 20 Sep. 2024

Video footage taken from body cameras appears to show Johnson telling a trooper that a limousine was being towed in the trailer. —Louis Casiano, Fox News, 19 Sep. 2024

Here's who really popped coming out of the limousines at the Bachelor Mansion: Need a break? —Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 19 Sep. 2024

News reported that single father of three daughters opted to pull up in an old station wagon, instead of the usual limousine, which left Vassos touched. —Martha Ross, The Mercury News, 19 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

earlier, "automobile having a fully enclosed passenger compartment with the driver's seat protected only by the windshield and a forward extension of the roof," borrowed from French, noun derivative from feminine of limousin "of limoges or limousin, France"

Note: The motivation behind the name has not been satisfactorily established. The authors of (vol. 5, p. 347, note 4) suggest that the allusion is to French limousine in the sense "cape-like coat of goatskins or coarse wool worn by wagoners, shepherds, etc.," the roof over the driver being compared to the protective cloak. Such a comparison has parallels—note French capote "hooded cloak" and "top of a convertible," as well as English bonnet entry 1. A difficulty with this hypothesis is that from the word's earliest appearance in French, apparently in 1900, it refers to the entire carriage style, not the covering over the driver. According to Trésor de la langue française, a different explanation is offered in the journal La vie parisienne, issue of December 10, 1904, which attributes the invention of this style to the engineer Charles Jeantaud (1840-1906), who was born in Limoges. However, none of the available photos of the battery-powered vehicles designed by Jeantaud show any resemblance to early limousines.

First Known Use

1902, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing limousine

• limousine liberal
• stretch limousine

Kids Definition

limousine

noun

lim·​ou·​sine ˈlim-ə-ˌzēn 

ˌlim-ə-ˈzēn

1

: a large luxurious automobile often driven by a chauffeur

2

: a large vehicle for passengers going to and from an airport