jockey

[ jok-ee ]
See synonyms for jockey on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural jock·eys.
  1. a person who rides horses professionally in races.

  2. Informal. a person who pilots, operates, or guides the movement of something, as an airplane or automobile.

verb (used with object),jock·eyed, jock·ey·ing.
  1. to ride (a horse) as a jockey.

  2. Informal. to operate or guide the movement of; pilot; drive.

  1. to move, bring, put, etc., by skillful maneuvering: The movers jockeyed the sofa through the door.

  2. to trick or cheat: The salesman jockeyed them into buying an expensive car.

  3. to manipulate cleverly or trickily: He jockeyed himself into office.

verb (used without object),jock·eyed, jock·ey·ing.
  1. to aim at an advantage by skillful maneuvering.

  2. to act trickily; seek an advantage by trickery.

Origin of jockey

1
First recorded in 1520–30 for an earlier sense; special use of Jock + -ey2

Other words from jockey

  • jock·ey·like, jock·ey·ish, adjective
  • jock·ey·ship, noun

Words Nearby jockey

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use jockey in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for jockey

jockey

/ (ˈdʒɒkɪ) /


noun
  1. a person who rides horses in races, esp as a profession or for hire

verb
    • (tr) to ride (a horse) in a race

    • (intr) to ride as a jockey

  1. (intr often foll by for) to try to obtain an advantage by manoeuvring, esp literally in a race or metaphorically, as in a struggle for power (esp in the phrase jockey for position)

  1. to trick or cheat (a person)

Origin of jockey

1
C16 (in the sense: lad): from name Jock + -ey

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012