auto-rickshaw

noun

au·​to-rick·​shaw
variants or autorickshaw
plural auto-rickshaws or autorickshaws
: a motorized rickshaw
… superficial images of modernization are everywhere to be seen: auto-rickshaws, which are rapidly replacing horse-drawn tongas; stores stocked with the latest Western-style gadgetry …Fergus M. Bordewich, Atlantic, July 1986
"Horn Please" demand the signs on the backs of a million trucks blocking the road. All the other trucks, and cars, bikes, motor scooters, taxis, and … autorickshaws enthusiastically respond, welcoming Zafar and me with an energetic rendition of the traditional symphony of the Indian street.Salman Rushdie, New Yorker, 19 June 2000

Word History

Etymology

auto- entry 2 + rickshaw

First Known Use

1958, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of auto-rickshaw was in 1958

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Dictionary Entries Near auto-rickshaw

Cite this Entry

“Auto-rickshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/auto-rickshaw. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

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