bivvy

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

Or GATTER, beer; "shant of BIVVY," a pot or quart of beer. In Suffolk the afternoon refreshment of reapers is called BEVER. It is also an old English term.

Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)

Where it’s used: Origin British & Irish English
Sources & notes

Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “bivvy” mean?

Or GATTER, beer; "shant of BIVVY," a pot or quart of beer. In Suffolk the afternoon refreshment of reapers is called BEVER. It is also an old English term.

Is “bivvy” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.