English · Word Historical

chivy

Preserved but no longer current.

Also seen as: chivvy

Meaning · English

Slang for the face. An example of rhyming slang (q. v.). Here the full term to rhyme with face is Chevy Chase.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Topics: Historical slang (1800s)

Common questions

What does “chivy” mean?

Slang for the face. An example of rhyming slang (q. v.). Here the full term to rhyme with face is Chevy Chase.

Is “chivy” formal or informal?

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

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