jockey

1 of 2

noun

jock·​ey ˈjä-kē 

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

: drive, operate

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

Noun

The first champion jockeys of the famed Kentucky Derby were Black men. —James Edward Mills, Outside, 25 Nov. 2025

Designers jockey for months to dress stars like Rihanna, Zendaya and supermodels in boundary-pushing designs. —Rachel Tashjian, CNN Money, 17 Nov. 2025

Verb

For the past three years—following an amendment to the state constitution and authorization by the State Legislature—nearly a dozen developers and gambling companies have been jockeying to win three new licenses to open casinos in and around New York City. —Adam Iscoe, New Yorker, 24 Nov. 2025

India and its archrival, Pakistan, jockeyed for influence throughout the weeklong event, held six months after their brief clash, which featured the world’s largest air battle in decades. —J.d. Capelouto, semafor.com, 23 Nov. 2025

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

Phrases Containing jockey

• bench jockey
• desk jockey
• disc jockey
• disk jockey
• jockey club
• jockey for position

Rhymes for jockey

• blocky
• chalky
• cocky
• gawky
• hockey
• khaki
• machi
• maki
• rocky
• stocky
• talkie
• walkie

Kids Definition

jockey

1 of 2 noun

jock·​ey ˈjäk-ē 

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