guv

See also: GUV

English

Alternative forms

• gov

Etymology

Alternative phonetic spelling of gov, short for governor.

Noun

guv (plural guvs)

1. (UK, Ireland, chiefly London, informal) A form of address to a man, usually a stranger or a superior.

   Spare two quid, guv? I 'aven't eaten since yesterday.

   Right away, guv... I mean, sarge.

1. (UK, informal) A male prison officer.

   We cover up the window so the guvs can't see us.

Synonyms

• boss
• guv'nor
• (to a stranger of comparable status): mate

Related terms

• guv'nor
• governor

Translations

form of address

• Czech: šéfe, šéfíku m
• French: chef (fr) m, patron (fr) m
• Hungarian: főnök (hu)
• Polish: kierownik (pl) m, kierowniczka (pl) f
• Serbo-Croatian: gazda (sh) m, šef (sh) m
• Swedish: grabben (sv) c (literally “"the guy"”)

Anagrams

• UGV, vug