# spiv

> English word · Noun · IPA /spɪv/

## Definitions
1. A smartly dressed person who trades in illicit, black-market or stolen goods, especially during World War II.
2. A flashy con artist, often homeless, who lives by his wits.
3. A low and common thief.
4. A slacker; one who shirks responsibility.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/spiv