jitney

[ jit-nee ]

noun

, plural jit·neys.

1. a small bus or car following a regular route along which it picks up and discharges passengers, originally charging each passenger five cents.
2. Older Slang. a nickel; five-cent piece.

verb (used with or without object)

, jit·neyed, jit·ney·ing.

1. to carry or ride in a jitney.

jitney

/ ˈdʒɪtnɪ /

noun

1. a small bus that carries passengers for a low price, originally five cents
2. slang.
   a nickel; five cents

Word History and Origins

Origin of jitney¹

1900–05, Americanism; of obscure origin; French jeton jetton is a phonetically implausible source

Word History and Origins

Origin of jitney¹

C20: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

But the second the jitney turns into the South Fork, and I start to see trees, my shoulders drop.”

From New York Times

“When I was younger and couldn’t afford an actual vacation, I would bring my toddler on an adventure I called ‘the bus to the boat to the jitney to the beach,’ ” Coven said.

From Seattle Times

He had just come from helping at his church’s soup kitchen and now was at Tops, volunteering in the community jitney service that shuttles people without a ride to and from the store.

From Seattle Times

Because cabdrivers refused to go there, residents relied for decades on private jitneys to get around — cars that followed set routes through the community.

From Washington Post

I couldn’t agree more with Brian Broome’s Nov. 9 Tuesday Opinion column, “So long, jitneys — and farewell to our connective tissue.”

From Washington Post

Related Words

• carriage
• taxi
• taxicab