A small, open motorboat or a light, small car suitable for short journeys.
A compound of 'run' and 'about,' meaning something that runs around. Emerged in early 1900s to describe both early small cars and small motorboats.
The 'runabout' was the sports car of the 1920s—these little open-air cars were fast, cheap compared to fancy cars, and represented freedom and youth, which is why they became the first true 'fun cars' Americans could afford.
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