Jeep

/jeep/, Trademark.

1. a small, rugged military motor vehicle having four-wheel drive and a ¹/₄-ton capacity: widely used by the U.S. Army during and after World War II.

2. a similar vehicle used by civilians.

v.i.

3. (l.c.) to ride or travel in a jeep.

[1935-40, Amer.; alter. of G.P. (for General Purpose) Vehicle, or special use of Eugene the Jeep, name of fabulous animal in comic strip "Popeye" by E. C. Segar]

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Outstanding light vehicle of World War II, developed by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps.

It weighed 1.25 tons, had a four-cylinder engine, and could climb 60° grades and operate on rough terrain thanks to its four-wheel drive and high clearance. The origin of it name is uncertain; one theory traces it to the military designation "vehicle, GP" (i.e., general-purpose). Since the war the jeep has been adapted for civilian use, though it has been replaced in the U.S. military by the High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV), or Humvee.

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▪ vehicle

      outstanding light vehicle of World War II. It was developed by the U.S. Army Quartermaster Corps and was an important item in lend-lease shipments to the Soviet Union and other allies. The jeep weighed 1 ¹/₄ tons, was powered by a four-cylinder engine, and was classed as a quarter-ton truck in carrying capacity. Exceptionally sturdy, it was capable of operating on rough terrain thanks to its high clearance and four-wheel drive, climbing 60 percent grades and fording shallow streams.

      On the road the jeep had a top speed of 65 miles (105 kilometres) per hour. It had a great variety of military uses, as a command car; reconnaissance car; light weapons, ammunition, and personnel carrier; and for many other purposes. It was sometimes armoured for combat missions (weasel) and was produced with a waterproof hull and propeller, giving it amphibious capabilities. Its name came from its military designation: vehicle, G.P. (general purpose). After World War II the jeep found wide applications in civilian life.

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