Meaning & use
auto body
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountableAmerican
The outer metal or plastic shell of a car, not including the engine or mechanical parts.
Grammar: Countable: one auto body, two auto bodies. Often used before another noun, as in 'auto body shop'.
Patterns
- an auto body shop
- damage to the auto body
- repair the auto body
The hail left small dents all over the car's auto body.
He works at an auto body shop repairing damaged doors and fenders.
After the crash, the auto body needed a full repaint.
noununcountableAmerican
The business or trade of repairing and painting the outer shell of cars.
Grammar: Uncountable when it means the trade or industry: 'He works in auto body.'
Patterns
- work in auto body
- a career in auto body
- auto body repair
She has worked in auto body for over ten years.
The school offers a course in auto body repair.
Auto body is a skilled trade that requires patience and precision.
Word forms
| plural | auto bodies |
|---|
Common combinations
- auto body shop
- I took the car to an auto body shop to fix the dented door.
- auto body repair
- Auto body repair can be expensive after a serious accident.
- auto body parts
- The garage ordered new auto body parts from the manufacturer.
- auto body damage
- The insurance covered the auto body damage but not the broken window.
- auto body technician
- An auto body technician straightened the bent frame.
Synonyms and how they differ
- bodywork
- A British term for the same idea; it can also mean the process of repairing the shell, so it is often broader than 'auto body'.
- car body
- A general term used in both British and American English; it is less technical than 'auto body' and can refer to any vehicle's shell.
Word family
- auto-body adjective
- Used before a noun, as in 'auto-body shop' or 'auto-body repair'.
Commonly confused: auto body or auto body?
auto body vs auto body
Sometimes written as two words ('auto body') and sometimes with a hyphen ('auto-body') when it comes before a noun. Both are acceptable, but the hyphenated form is common in American English.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'auto body' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Auto body' refers to the outer shell of a car, so it fits with fixing dents and scratches. The other options confuse it with the engine or tires, which are not part of the auto body.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “auto body”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.