jockey

[ jok-ee ]

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.
3. to move, bring, put, etc., by skillful maneuvering:

   The movers jockeyed the sofa through the door.

4. to trick or cheat:

   The salesman jockeyed them into buying an expensive car.

5. 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.

jockey

/ ˈdʒɒkɪ /

noun

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

verb

1. 1. tr to ride (a horse) in a race
   2. intr to ride as a jockey
2. introften foll byfor 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 )
3. to trick or cheat (a person)

Other Words From

• jockey·like jockey·ish adjective
• jockey·ship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of jockey¹

First recorded in 1520–30 for an earlier sense; special use of Jock + -ey ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of jockey¹

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

Example Sentences

A jockey guided a quarter horse named Chiquibaby over to the trainer, who jabbed the needle into the horse’s neck and pushed the plunger before jumping away.

From Washington Post

A well-known jockey pushed out of regulated racing because of his serial use of banned electric shock devices also found refuge at Rancho El Centenario — until he died following an accident while racing there.

From Washington Post

In horse racing, a whole system of consultants, trainers and jockeys are ready to turn a hobby into a professional venture for the ultrawealthy.

From ProPublica

Oh, Amazon also operates its own connected TV platform, Fire TV, that jockeys with Roku as well as smart TV makers like Samsung and Vizio and that enables the company to sell ads across the various ad-supported apps distributed on the platform.

From Digiday

Odds, analysis and post positions for the 2021 Preakness StakesRombauer is a speedy closer with an experienced jockey in Flavien Prat, who has hit the board more than half the time this year on horses with similar running styles.

From Washington Post

And my father is a jockey so when I saw his picture I knew it was a grandstand at a racetrack.

From The Daily Beast

My mother died when I was three months old in a car accident, and my dad being a jockey, he gave me to his parents to raise.

From The Daily Beast

In the Jockey ad, half of Jim Palmer's princely, brooding face is fully lighted, the other half is masked in shadow.

From The Daily Beast

His one stipulation before okaying a poster of his Jockey ad, for example, was that all proceeds go to cystic fibrosis.

From The Daily Beast

Palmer turned out to be so dependable in his public appearances that Jockey was shocked.

From The Daily Beast

He never threw away an inch, and his way of stealing foot by foot was worthy of any jockey.

From Project Gutenberg

It was not a pad saddle such as jockey's ride, nor yet a civilian outfit without horn and only one web.

From Project Gutenberg

Still we raced on, neck and neck, she riding with hands low and weight slightly forward, workmanlike as a jockey.

From Project Gutenberg

He drew out his flute and began to play "Jockey to the Fair" in the style of a man who had never known moment's sorrow.

From Project Gutenberg

He gave himself a boyhood as a jockey and also enlisted fictionally in the Spanish American war.

From Project Gutenberg