jitney
/ˈd͡ʒɪtni/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.94 in modern English
16
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
6
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
Synonym of minibus, especially one with a scheduled fixed route.
noun
Synonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.
noun
Synonym of shared taxi, a taxi usually shared with strangers to maximize profitability per trip.
noun
An informal lawn bowling, curling, or darts competition in which all players present are randomly drawn into teams.
Canadian usage
noun
A fraudulent arrangement whereby a broker who has direct access to an exchange executes trades on behalf of a broker who does not.
Example Sentences
- "[…] I said good-by and took the bags downstairs and hailed a Frisco taxi-jitney, which was an ordinary taxi that ran a regular route and you could hail it from any corner and ride to any corner you want for about fifteen cents, cramped in with other passengers like on a bus, but talking and telling jokes like in a private car."
Etymology
1886, originally for a five-cent US coin (a nickel); use for taxis and buses due to these services originally charging five cents as fare, popularized circa 1915. The etymology is uncertain; it is believed to originate from Louisiana Creole jetnée, from French jeton (“token, coin-sized metal disc”), though this is disputed. Evidence for the Louisiana Creole French origin includes the geographic distribution (Southeastern US, especially Black/African-American), and early spelling as gitney, which is common French spelling for the /ʒi/ pronunciation.
Origin
- Source language: French