limo

IPA/ˈlɪməʊ/
KK[lˈɪmo]IPA/ˈlɪməʊ/

limo — noun

  • limosingular
  • limosplural

1. an informal name for a limousine — a very long, comfortable car with extra seats

1.nounB1
Definition

an informal name for a limousine — a very long, comfortable car with extra seats in the back, usually hired for weddings, proms, or trips for important people, and often with a paid driver at the wheel.

Example

Yuna and her bridesmaids arrived at the church in a white stretch limo.

common collocation: stretch limo for weddings

The hotel sent a black limo to pick up the band at the airport.

typical pattern: send a limo to pick someone up

Common collocations
  • stretch limo
  • book a limo
  • hire a limo
  • ride in a limo
  • step out of a limo
Synonyms
  • limousine

    the full, slightly more formal form

  • town car

    American English; a hired luxury sedan, usually shorter than a limo

Grammar Patterns

a/the + limo

in a limo

by limo

Usage Note

Informal short form of 'limousine'; common in spoken English and news writing. Often pictured as a long black or white car with tinted windows and a chauffeur.

Common Mistakes

I took a limo taxi from the station.
I took a limo from the station.
a limo is already a hired car, so 'limo taxi' is redundant.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

'Limo' is the casual, everyday short form of 'limousine' and is what most people say in conversation, on the phone, or in informal writing. 'Limousine' is the full word and feels slightly more formal — you might see it on a company name, a wedding brochure, or a news headline. Both refer to the same thing: a long, comfortable car, usually with a separate compartment for passengers and a driver at the front. 'Town car' is American English for a hired luxury sedan, typically a normal-length four-door car rather than a stretched one; corporate travellers often use a town car for short city trips, while a wedding party would book a limo.

limo ↗limousine ↗town car

Common collocations

Nouns

  • limo driver
  • limo service
  • limo company
  • stretch limo
  • airport limo

Phrases

  • book a limo
  • hire a limo
  • step out of a limo
  • ride in a limo

Prepositions

  • in a limo
  • by limo
  • into the limo
  • out of the limo

Etymology

French (regional name)French (full word 'limousine')English ('limousine')English (shortened to 'limo')

A shortened, informal form of 'limousine', first recorded in American English in the 1960s. 'Limousine' itself comes from the French region of Limousin, whose shepherds wore a long, hooded cloak; early enclosed cars with a covered passenger area reminded French speakers of that cloak, and the name stuck.