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Preserved but no longer current.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.
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.