jeep

1 of 3

noun

ˈjēp How to pronounce jeep (audio)
: a small general-purpose motor vehicle with 80-inch wheelbase, ¹/₄-ton capacity, and four-wheel drive used by the U.S. Army in World War II
also : a similar but larger and more powerful U.S. army vehicle

jeep

2 of 3

verb

jeeped; jeeping; jeeps

intransitive verb

: to travel by jeep

Jeep

3 of 3

trademark

—used for a civilian automotive vehicle

Examples of jeep in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
The trucks and jeeps are then painted, including NAFO lettering, and driven in convoys to the front lines in Ukraine. —David Gilbert, WIRED, 22 Oct. 2024 The mother of two went on to share a look at her casual outfit which consisted of a black T-shirt and jeans before including a photo of the sunset, a jeep and a picture with her sister Kendall Jenner. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 18 Oct. 2024
Verb
The excitement continued when the boys took a Jeep rock climb into the high desert rocks in a custom Starwood Motors jeep with steep inclines and drops to add to the adventure. —Jim Dobson, Forbes, 22 June 2021 The Chicago Gun Club had applied to start an upscale range with two membership lounges, a 32-bay firing range, firearm and Jeep retail space; residents expressed concern that the business would serve alcohol, according to articles. —Mark Lawton, chicagotribune.com, 26 June 2017 See all Example Sentences for jeep 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably ultimately from Eugene the Jeep, character in the comic strip Thimble Theater by Elzie C. Segar

First Known Use

Noun

1940, in the meaning defined above

Verb

1942, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of jeep was in 1940

Dictionary Entries Near jeep

Jeep

jeep

jeepable

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Jeep.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jeep. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

jeep

noun
ˈjēp
: a small general-purpose motor vehicle with four-wheel drive used by the U.S. Army in World War II
Etymology

Noun

an altered form of g.p., an abbreviation for "general purpose," influenced by the name Eugene the Jeep, a comic strip character

Word Origin
In March 1936 in newspapers across the country, Popeye's girlfriend, Olive Oyl, was delivered a box labeled "Eugene the Jeep." The contents of the box turned out to be a friendly little animal that made the sound "jeep." Elzie Segar, the creator of the comic strip, went on with the story of Eugene the Jeep through much of 1936. In 1937 work began on the development of an all-purpose vehicle for the military. When this vehicle was ready for use, it was apparently called g.p. for "general purpose." Probably because of the popularity of Eugene the Jeep, the pronunciation of g.p. was shortened to one syllable, and the spelling jeep became normal.

More from Merriam-Webster on jeep

Nglish: Translation of jeep for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of jeep for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about jeep

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