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Spiv in Scrabble and Meaning

Lookup Word Points and Definitions

What does spiv mean? Is spiv a Scrabble word?

How many points in Scrabble is spiv worth? spiv how many points in Words With Friends? What does spiv mean? Get all these answers on this page.

Scrabble® and Words with Friends® points for spiv

See how to calculate how many points for spiv.

Is spiv a Scrabble word?

Yes. The word spiv is a Scrabble US word. The word spiv is worth 9 points in Scrabble:

S1P3I1V4

Is spiv a Scrabble UK word?

Yes. The word spiv is a Scrabble UK word and has 9 points:

S1P3I1V4

Is spiv a Words With Friends word?

Yes. The word spiv is a Words With Friends word. The word spiv is worth 11 points in Words With Friends (WWF):

S1P4I1V5

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Valid words made from Spiv

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Results

4-letter words (1 found)

SPIV,

3-letter words (4 found)

PIS,PSI,SIP,VIS,

2-letter words (3 found)

IS,PI,SI,

You can make 8 words from spiv according to the Scrabble US and Canada dictionary.

All 4 letters words made out of spiv

spiv psiv sipv ispv pisv ipsv spvi psvi svpi vspi pvsi vpsi sivp isvp svip vsip ivsp visp pivs ipvs pvis vpis ivps vips

Note: these 'words' (valid or invalid) are all the permutations of the word spiv. These words are obtained by scrambling the letters in spiv.

Definitions and meaning of spiv

spiv

Etymology

Unknown. 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. Also possibly from Romani spiv (“sparrow”), as active and opportunistic.

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /spɪv/
  • Rhymes: -ɪv

Noun

spiv (plural spivs)

  1. (British, historical) A smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods, especially during World War II.
  2. (British, dated) A flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits.
    Synonyms: sharper, chiseler, wide boy; see also Thesaurus:fraudster, Thesaurus:confidence trickster
  3. (British, dated, Scotland Yard) A low and common thief.
  4. (British, dated) A slacker; one who shirks responsibility.

Derived terms

  • spivvery
  • spivish
  • spivvy

Further reading

  • Michael Quinion (1996–2024) “Spiv”, in World Wide Words.
  • Jonathon Green (2024) “spiv n.”, in Green’s Dictionary of Slang
  • Eric Partridge (2005) “spiv”, in Tom Dalzell and Terry Victor, editors, The New Partridge Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, volumes 2 (J–Z), London, New York, N.Y.: Routledge, →ISBN, page 1837.

Anagrams

  • PIVs, V.I.P.s, VIPs

Source: wiktionary.org