jockey

American  

[jok-ee] / ˈdʒɒk i /

noun

• jockeys
  plural

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)

• jockeys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jockeyed,
  past participle,  past
• jockeying
  present participle

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)

• jockeys,
  present (3rd person singular)
• jockeyed,
  past participle,  past
• jockeying
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

• jockeyship
  noun
• jockeyish
  adjective
• jockeylike
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• jockeys
  plural

Participles

• jockeying
  present
• jockeyed
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• jockey
  simple
• jockeys
  simple
• have jockeyed
  perfect
• has jockeyed
  perfect
• am jockeying
  progressive
• are jockeying
  progressive
• is jockeying
  progressive
• have been jockeying
  perfect progressive
• has been jockeying
  perfect progressive

Past

• jockeyed
  simple
• had jockeyed
  perfect
• was jockeying
  progressive
• were jockeying
  progressive
• had been jockeying
  perfect progressive

Future

• will jockey
  simple
• will have jockeyed
  perfect
• will be jockeying
  progressive
• will have been jockeying
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of jockey

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

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Explanation

During a horse race, the riders are called jockeys. Being a jockey is an excellent career choice for someone small. Jockeys, usually male, are always small people, weighing less than 120 pounds and generally standing no more than five feet five inches tall. This keeps the horses' total weight light, allowing them to run faster. When jockey is used as a verb, it means "to struggle or compete," like when politicians jockey for dominance or kids jockey to be the first in line for a bouncy house. Jockey was originally a Scottish word for "boy."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

jockey jockeys jockeyed jockeying

Having ridden 60 winners since the start of May, Osborne is currently sitting eighth in the Flat Jockeys Championship, and is open about dreaming of being champion jockey in the future.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

She would be the first female jockey to achieve that.

From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026

Composers were known to jockey for the chance to premiere a new piece of music there, and top touring acts typically booked spots there years in advance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 14, 2026

Higher-income neighborhoods often benefit from increased competition as multiple providers jockey for business.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026

She turned and added, "When you two grow up, I really hope you become more than horse and jockey, because people lose a lot of money betting on horse races."

From "Look Both Ways" by Jason Reynolds

They press vinyl to sell at shows, and it gets into the hands of disc jockeys at ever-larger radio stations with an increasing number of watts behind their broadcasts.

From Salon ● Oct. 4, 2026

Behind the scenes, the crosstown rivals are clashing as each company jockeys for tailored tariffs and policies while claiming to be the most American automaker.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

If the pace is slower, jockeys on the other horses, such as Jose Ortiz on Golden Tempo, will have to be careful not to drop too far back.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 2, 2026

Of the jockeys, Paul Townend has two places to go with his 2024 win.

From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026

Frightened jockeys take what Luther called “the married man’s route,” timidly detouring around the outside of the pack.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand

Historically, monarchs had a court of advisers, diplomats and merchants who jockeyed for proximity to limitless power.

From Salon ● Jun. 2, 2026

It has also jockeyed with Saudi Arabia, the biggest oil producer in OPEC, for regional clout.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026

“We recall the cloud transformation cycle about five years ago when leading cybersecurity firms jockeyed for market share, and we are witnessing the same phenomenon in the current AI super cycle secular wave.”

From Barron's ● Apr. 10, 2026

As TV producers jockeyed for scoops and access, prosecutors in the Tarrant County District Attorney’s Office, in Fort Worth, were faced with another task.

From Slate ● Apr. 6, 2026

Their purple forms flickered as they jockeyed for places.

From "The Son of Neptune" by Rick Riordan

His long stay abroad has also stoked talk of a post-Biya future and accelerated jockeying among would-be successors as questions over who might replace him persist.

From Barron's ● Aug. 20, 2026

Some locals say the renewed jockeying for clients is the latest distraction from the fight over the toxins they believe are polluting their home.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 12, 2026

Bass has been polling in first, with Pratt and Raman jockeying for second place.

From Slate ● May 9, 2026

While making his way through the ballroom he came across reporters ducking for cover and some jockeying for position with their phone cameras.

From Salon ● May 1, 2026

Throngs of people were jockeying for position in ticket lines that snaked up and down the block.

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein

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