bakkie

noun

bak·​kie ˈba-kē 

plural bakkies

South Africa

: a small van or truck

But the margins are small and from the money he earns he must pay his two sons who help him, cover the cost of petrol for his bakkie and pay for medicines should any of the cows fall ill.

—Patrick Burnett, Inter Press Service, 29 Aug. 2009

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Afrikaans, "small container, light truck," from bak "container, bed of a truck" (going back to Dutch, "trough, tank") + -ie, diminutive suffix (going back to Dutch -je)

First Known Use

1968, in the meaning defined above

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

• More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
• Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
• Advanced search features
• Ad free!