jaywalk

[ jey-wawk ]

/ ˈdʒeɪˌwɔk /

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See synonyms for: jaywalker on Thesaurus.com

verb (used without object)

to cross a street at a place other than a regular crossing or in a heedless manner, as diagonally or against a traffic light.

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THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

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In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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Origin of jaywalk

An Americanism dating back to 1915–20; jay¹ + walk

OTHER WORDS FROM jaywalk

jaywalker, noun

Words nearby jaywalk

Jayhawker, Jayhawker State, Jayne, Jay's Treaty, jayvee, jaywalk, jazz, Jazz Age, jazz band, jazz dance, jazzed

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jaywalk in a sentence

I know at which crossroads there’s likely to be a blind spot for normal cars to interfere with our work, or where pedestrians are more likely to jaywalk.
A day in the life of a Chinese robotaxi driver|Zeyi Yang|July 27, 2022|MIT Technology Review

British Dictionary definitions for jaywalk

jaywalk

/ (ˈdʒeɪˌwɔːk) /

verb

(intr) to cross or walk in a street recklessly or illegally

Derived forms of jaywalk

jaywalker, nounjaywalking, noun

Word Origin for jaywalk

C20: from jay (sense 2)

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