bumper car

noun

1. (in an amusement park) a small, carlike electric vehicle with an encircling rubber bumper that one maneuvers around an enclosed arena while purposely bumping other vehicles.

bumper car

noun

1. a low-powered electrically propelled vehicle driven and bumped against similar cars in a special rink at a funfair Also calledDodgem

Word History and Origins

Origin of bumper car¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

The bumper cars sat in their own shadows.

From Los Angeles Times

It wasn’t very busy, but there were about five or six bumper cars out on the floor.

From Literature

Sharper Image Bumper Rivals Remote control bumper cars go head-to-head, ejecting characters from cars with fun sound effects when bumped in this fun driving game for ages 6 and up.

From Seattle Times

Driving along the street was a little like driving bumper cars at the amusement park.

From Seattle Times

When electrons flow through a standard conductive material, such as an aluminum wire, they act something like bumper cars, bouncing off atoms.

From Scientific American