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What does “antivol” mean in French?

Antivol is the everyday French word for any anti-theft device — a bike lock, a steering-wheel bar, a car immobiliser, anything that stops a thief. It’s built transparently from anti- plus vol (“theft”), so it reads almost like English “anti-theft.” One word covers the whole category, whether the thing protected is a scooter, a phone, or a sports car.

Vol carries both “theft” and “flight,” but in antivol it’s clearly the “theft” sense. The word works as a noun (un antivol de vélo, “a bike lock”) and as an adjective (un cadenas antivol, “an anti-theft padlock”). Here the driver’s gag is that his only antivol is the removable racing volant (steering wheel) he carries everywhere — slot it back in and it cuts the antidémarrage (immobiliser) so the engine can start.