rebirthing

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

The practice of transferring identifying parts of a wrecked car (registration plates, compliance plate, etc.) onto a stolen car of the same make and model, allowing the stolen car to be sold with the identity of the wreck.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used Australian English

Examples

Other investigations include South-East Asian organised crime, money laundering and tax fraud on the Commonwealth, vehicle rebirthing and identity fraud.

Quoted attestation: 2004, Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2004 Year Book Australia, Number 86, page 325,

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “rebirthing” mean?

The practice of transferring identifying parts of a wrecked car (registration plates, compliance plate, etc.) onto a stolen car of the same make and model, allowing the stolen car to be sold with the identity of the wreck.

Is “rebirthing” formal or informal?

rebirthing is generally slang.