Etymology

pak pai

Today it means: A car used as an illegal taxi in Hong Kong. Full definition →

First used 20th c.Cantonese 白牌車 /白牌车
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The story

  1. Cantonese · derived from白牌車 /白牌车
  2. English todaypak pai

From Cantonese 白牌車 /白牌车 (baak⁶ paai⁴⁻² ce¹), literally ‘white numberplate’.

First known use, by meaning

  • from 20th c. A car used as an illegal taxi in Hong Kong.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.