jockey

1 of 2

noun

jock·​ey ˈjä-kē How to pronounce jockey (audio)
plural jockeys
1
: a person who rides or drives a horse especially as a professional in a race
2
: a person who operates or works with a specified vehicle, device, object, or material
a bus jockey
pencil jockeys

jockey

2 of 2

verb

jockeyed; jockeying

transitive verb

1
a
: to maneuver or manipulate by adroit or devious means
was jockeyed out of the job
b
: to change the position of by a series of movements
jockey a truck into position
2
a
: to ride or drive (a horse) as a jockey
b
3
: to deal shrewdly or fraudulently with

intransitive verb

1
: to maneuver for advantage
often used in the phrase jockey for position
2
: to act as a jockey

Examples of jockey in a Sentence

Verb There was a lot of political jockeying at the fund-raiser. The driver carefully jockeyed the truck into a narrow space in the crowded parking lot.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Aside from his name and his winning trainer, Disruptor also literally bears the enormous threat of jockey Irad Ortiz, Jr., in his tack. Guy Martin, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2025 The Pegasus World Cup headlines a 13-race card, 10 of those stakes involving some of the nation’s premier horses, jockeys and trainers. Clark Spencer, Miami Herald, 23 Jan. 2025
Verb
Although the Oklahoma City Thunder have a stranglehold on the No.1 seed in the West, with a 12.5-game lead entering Tuesday, the rest of the conference, especially the No. 3 to No. 8 seeds, is jockeying for playoff seeding. Gordon G. Chang, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Apr. 2025 After winning their 20th road game of the season, the Bulls are on track to host their first play-in tournament game — and could even jockey with the rest of their Eastern Conference play-in competitors for higher seeding in the postseason. Julia Poe, Chicago Tribune, 6 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for jockey

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Jockey, Scots nickname for John

First Known Use

Noun

1643, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 3

Time Traveler
The first known use of jockey was in 1643

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Jockey.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jockey. Accessed 14 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

jockey

1 of 2 noun
jock·​ey ˈjäk-ē How to pronounce jockey (audio)
plural jockeys
1
: one who rides a horse especially as a professional in a race
2
: one who operates something
a gas-pump jockey

jockey

2 of 2 verb
jockeyed; jockeying
1
: to ride a horse as a jockey
2
: to move or manage skillfully or cleverly or so as to gain advantage
jockey a truck into position
jockeying for position

More from Merriam-Webster on jockey

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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