A drive-through, or drive-thru,'s a type of service provided by a business that allows customers to purchase products without leaving their cars. The format was first pioneered in the United States in the 1940s but has since spread to other countries. Orders are generally placed using a microphone and picked up in person at the window. A drive-through's different from a drive-in in several ways— The cars create a line and move in one direction in drive-throughs, and don't park, whereas d… (More on Drive-thru)