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livery driver

livery driver

1 5.5
A person who drives a taxi or hired car and gets paid
  • noun
  • /ˈlɪvəri ˈdraɪvər/
  • US
translation icon : taxista
  • She works as a livery driver, transporting clients around the city for various events.

Examples

  • The service works similarly for livery drivers.

    Blog text (16)
  • If New York City banned all cars after the hurricane and only allowed city buses, taxi cabs, and livery drivers in Manhattan, would New York City be in the dire straits it is in right now?

    Blog text (24)
  • The livery driver picked up my friends from the airport after their long flight.

  • After calling for a ride, the livery driver arrived promptly to take us to our destination.

Synonyms

driver
vslivery driver
1.0

A person who controls a car or bus

focuses on paid driving jobs, not general vehicle operation
bus driver
vslivery driver
66 1.0

A person who takes people around by bus

is for hired work broadly, not restricted to scheduled public services
taxi driver
vslivery driver
42 1.0

A person who drives people in a taxi for money

is broader, covering driving various vehicles for hire not only passenger cars
cabbie
vslivery driver
  • Informal
29 3.7

A person who drives a taxi

is more general, for anyone driving vehicles for hire not only cars
cabdriver
vslivery driver
7 1.0

A person who drives a taxi and takes people to where they want to go

is broader, including any hired vehicle work beyond urban passenger trips
hackman
vslivery driver
  • Archaic
2 9.9

A person who drove a hired carriage or taxi in the past

is the modern, wider term for driving various hired vehicles today
wheelman
vslivery driver
2 6.8

The main person who drives a car or boat for other people

adds the hired job aspect, not just being the main operator
cabman
vslivery driver
  • Archaic
1 9.2

A person who drives a taxi

is broader and modern, covering hired driving beyond historical carriage work
ferry driver
vslivery driver
1 2.5

A person who drives a boat that carries people or cars across water

is broader, including any paid driving of vehicles on land or water
hack-driver
vslivery driver
  • Archaic
9.2

A person who drives a taxi for a living

is broader, applying to drivers of different hired vehicle types
hack driver
vslivery driver
  • Archaic
7.4

A person who takes people somewhere in a taxi for money

is wider, including operators of other for hire transport beyond cars
taximan
vslivery driver
  • Archaic
5.9

A person who drives a taxi as a job

is broader, covering paid driving of many vehicle types for hire
vetturino
vslivery driver
9.9

A person who drives a horse-drawn carriage for hire

is broader, covering driving paid services in both motor and horse vehicles

Surface Forms

livery driver singular

Morphology

livery + driver

Livery denotes a service or provision for hire (originally stabling/boarding and by extension hired vehicles/uniform), so combined with 'driver' it compositionally points to a driver who provides hired transport. However, the sense of 'livery' is somewhat archaic/specialized and not transparent to many learners, so the specific occupational meaning is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

The noun livery driver may come from when people rented horses and carriages called livery, and a driver would take them where they wanted. That's why livery driver now means someone who drives a vehicle 'for hire'.