jockey

American  

[jok-ee] / ˈdʒɒk i /

noun

plural

jockeys

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.

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verb (used with object)

jockeyed, jockeying

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)

jockeyed, jockeying

1. to aim at an advantage by skillful maneuvering.

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

jockey British  

/ ˈdʒɒkɪ /

noun

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

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verb

1. 1. (tr) to ride (a horse) in a race

   2. (intr) to ride as a jockey

2. 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 Word Forms

• jockeyish adjective
• jockeylike adjective
• jockeyship noun

Etymology

Origin of jockey

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

Example Sentences

The intense scrutiny under which the characters in “Bugonia” place each other as they jockey for position demands extreme trust and listening.

From Los Angeles Times

Teenage jockey Billy Loughnane has broken the record for the most wins in a calendar year this century.

From BBC

The 28-year-old British champion jockey took up the lead well before the halfway mark on the 5/1 chance of the 5800 metres marathon and dominated the contest from then on.

From Barron's

The jockeying has divided Rarotonga, where chickens and dogs roam freely, and buildings aren’t allowed to be bigger than the tallest coconut trees.

From The Wall Street Journal

"I thought I'd won by a head and didn't have anything to worry about it," said jockey Jones.

From BBC