drive-throughadj.n.
/ˈdrʌɪvθruː/, U.S. /ˈdraɪvˌθru/ A. adj.
1.
a. Originally U.S. Designating a facility such as a restaurant, bank, etc., where customers may be served without leaving their cars, typically by driving up to a window or counter at the premises; of or relating to a restaurant, bank, etc., of this type; cf. drive-in adj. 2. Also: designating a zoo, park, etc., through which one may drive.
ΘΚΠ
society > travel > transport > transport or conveyance in a vehicle > driving or operating a vehicle > [adjective] > that may be driven through
drive-through1918
society > trade and finance > trading place > place where retail transactions made > [adjective] > relating to shop > types of shop
high streetc1600
co-op1872
multiple1903
fixed price1907
serve-self1909
serve-yourself1909
quick-service1910
self-serve1910
self-service1912
drive-through1918
Army and Navy1919
drive-in1930
one-stop1933
Army-Navy1934
full-service1934
mom-and-pop1942
walkround1950
ma-and-pa1965
pop-up1993
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > eating place > [adjective] > types of eating-house
stand-up1872
quick-lunch1891
sit-down1891
help-yourself1894
quick-and-dirty1908
serve-self1908
drive-through1918
tea-shoppy1931
full-service1934
snack bar1940
fast-casual1995
1918 Boston Sunday Post 22 Dec. 7/5 (advt.) Our new service station will be devoted exclusively to battery service... Drive-through service will be a feature.
1975 Americana Ann. 52 Shuster..believed that a drive-through zoo would appeal to the American public.
1976 National Observer (U.S.) 21 Aug. 8/4 There's another design feature that almost all of these chains say they will adopt: drive-through windows.
2017 Stirling Observer (Nexis) 18 Jan. 1 Two drive-through take-aways could be built on a site near the centre of Stirling.
b. figurative. Originally and chiefly U.S. Chiefly depreciative. Resembling or suggestive of the service at a drive-through restaurant; fast, impersonal, or perfunctory.
ΘΚΠ
the world > action or operation > manner of action > carelessness > [adjective] > careless, not thorough
overlyc1450
superficialc1456
sloven1532
sloven-like1569
perfunctory1592
slovenly1592
perfunctorious1599
cursory1601
cursorarya1616
slighty1619
cursitory1632
touch and go1682
passant1685
skimming1728
slapdashc1792
lax1812
slap-bang1815
slummocking1825
slobbery1832
percursory1837
slipshod1845
slip-string1854
slummocky1855
free and easy1864
unthorough1868
slurring1880
slummy1881
sploshy1881
skimmy1893
surfacy1975
drive-through1994
1994 Daily Herald (Chicago) 25 June i. 1/4 For many women, the concept of leaving the hospital just six hours after an exhausting childbirth smacks of drive-through delivery.
1995 High Country News 18 Sept. 15/3 The college's board discovered that its new president..had a drive-through Ph.D. from a Michigan correspondence school.
2005 Macon (Georgia) Tel. (Nexis) 16 Aug. d2 Not all celebs have taken the drive-through approach to marriage.
2. Motor Racing. Designating a penalty against a driver or team for an infringement of the rules during a race, which results in the driver having to drive through the pit lane at the reduced pit-lane speed before rejoining the race. Chiefly in drive-through penalty.
ΚΠ
1996 Vancouver Sun 3 Sept. d3/4 Assessed a drive-through penalty for bombing through the pits too quickly, Vasser returned to the race in 12th place.
2008 Australian (Nexis) 25 Sept. 15 The penalty he received was a time addition rather than a drive-through sanction.
2012 Hoosier Times (Bloomington, Indiana) 17 June (Herald-Times ed.) b7/3 Scott Dixon had to serve a drive-through penalty for jumping a restart and finished 11th.
B. n. Originally U.S.
A facility such as a restaurant, bank, etc., where customers may be served without leaving their cars, typically by driving up to a window or counter at the premises. Cf. drive-in n. 2.
ΘΚΠ
society > trade and finance > trading place > place where retail transactions made > [noun] > shop > shop selling provisions > with a drive-up window
drive-in1931
drive-through1949
drive-up1956
the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > eating place > [noun] > eating-house or restaurant > other eating-houses
ordinary1590
chop-house1699
porterhouse?1730
steak house1762
beef-house1807
rotisserie1825
fish-shop1826
supper tavern1841
supper house1855
supper room1858
grill-room1883
teetotum1891
grill1896
bar and grill1903
corner-house1912
bistro1922
roadhouse1922
hot doggery1923
rosticceria1930
dinette1940
British Restaurant1941
drive-through1949
drive-up1956
sobaya1958
carvery1962
ouzeri1964
crêperie1967
steak restaurant1970
sushiya1970
steak bar1971
buka1972
kopitiam1979
bukateria1980
churrascaria1981
parrilla1981
Indian1982
theme pub1983
parrillada1984
restobar1992
1949 Ann Arbor (Mich.) News 9 June 19/5 When you are pointing to the Beer Vault Drive-Thru for cold refreshing beer it's good manners.
1993 Sat. Night (Toronto) Feb. 68/2 He speaks politely and directly, as though ordering at a drive-thru.
2005 Contra Costa (Calif.) Times (Nexis) 27 Dec. f4 Although Starbucks once shunned the concept, it now has 1,065 drive-throughs in the United States, plus more abroad.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2021; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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adj.n.1918