drive
Preserved but no longer current.
A term used by tradesmen in speaking of business; "he’s DRIVING a roaring trade," i.e., a very good one; hence, to succeed in a bargain, "I DROVE a good bargain," i.e., got the best end of it. To "LET DRIVE at one," to strike out. A man snoring hard is said to be "DRIVING his pigs to market."
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
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 “drive” mean?
A term used by tradesmen in speaking of business; "he’s DRIVING a roaring trade," i.e., a very good one; hence, to succeed in a bargain, "I DROVE a good bargain," i.e., got the best end of it. To "LET DRIVE at one," to strike out. A man snoring hard is said to be "DRIVING his pigs to market."
Is “drive” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.