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autorickshaw

American  
[aw-toh-rik-shaw, ‐-rik-shah] / ˌɔ toʊˈrɪk ʃɔ, ‐ˈrɪk ʃɑ /
Or auto rickshaw

noun

  1. (especially in South Asia) a motorized three-wheeled public conveyance, as a converted motorcycle, typically one having a two-passenger hooded cab mounted behind the driver.


autorickshaw British  
/ ˈɔːtəʊˈrɪkʃɔː /

noun

  1. (in India) a light three-wheeled vehicle driven by a motorcycle engine

"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

Etymology

Origin of autorickshaw

First recorded in 1955–60; auto- 2 ( def. ) + rickshaw ( def. )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Farshid Karimi, a 21-year-old autorickshaw driver, said his profits used to hit around $9 a day, but in the last few weeks he is lucky if he earns $4.

From Barron's Jul. 12, 2026

On a recent afternoon, Umesh Sharma waited for customers in his green-and-yellow autorickshaw outside Delhi’s historic Red Fort for more than two hours, but no one came.

From The Wall Street Journal Jul. 7, 2026

Sarvjeet Singh, a 48-year-old autorickshaw driver, said the smog was hurting his eyes and he was finding it difficult to breathe.

From Seattle Times Nov. 4, 2022

But the crisis is already overwhelming for average Sri Lankans, like autorickshaw driver Mohammed Rahuman, 64, who was recently standing in line for gasoline for more than 16 hours.

From Reuters Jun. 20, 2022

His real name was Gowri Shankar, but he was called Auto Shankar because he drove an autorickshaw.

From BBC Nov. 4, 2015

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