jockey
Americannoun
plural
jockeys-
a person who rides horses professionally in races.
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Informal. a person who pilots, operates, or guides the movement of something, as an airplane or automobile.
verb (used with object)
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to ride (a horse) as a jockey.
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Informal. to operate or guide the movement of; pilot; drive.
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to move, bring, put, etc., by skillful maneuvering.
The movers jockeyed the sofa through the door.
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to trick or cheat.
The salesman jockeyed them into buying an expensive car.
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to manipulate cleverly or trickily.
He jockeyed himself into office.
verb (used without object)
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to aim at an advantage by skillful maneuvering.
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to act trickily; seek an advantage by trickery.
noun
verb
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(tr) to ride (a horse) in a race
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(intr) to ride as a jockey
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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 )
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to trick or cheat (a person)
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of jockey
First recorded in 1520–30 for an earlier sense; special use of Jock + -ey 2
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."
Vocabulary lists containing jockey
Horsin' Around
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Born a Crime
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Dear Martin
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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.
In a tribute on Monday, her commanding officer described her as "a bright light in any room she entered" and "an immensely professional solider and an exceptional jockey".
From BBC • May 18, 2026
He is the ninth jockey to complete the double — Brian Hernandez Jr. did it two years ago.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
Emisael Jaramillo originally was named to ride Robusta in the Kentucky Derby, but the Daily Racing Form reported the jockey will keep his commitments Saturday at Santa Anita and Cristian Torres will be aboard Robusta.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Many racehorses are owned by multiple investors who make money alongside the jockey and trainer when their horses win.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026
The race caller, collecting himself and trying to salvage something out of the ruined afternoon, cheerily announced that the winning jockey, Nick Wall of Stagehand fame, was “an East Boston boy!”
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
