rickshaw

noun

rick·​shaw ˈrik-ˌshȯ 

variants or less commonly ricksha

plural rickshaws also rickshas

: any of various small doorless passenger vehicles used chiefly in Asia:

a

: a small 2-wheeled vehicle that is pulled by a person on foot, that holds one or two passengers, and that often has a folding top to protect the passenger seat

b

: a tricycle that has a seat for one or two passengers, a separate seat for a driver who pedals, and often a folding top to protect the passenger seat : pedicab

c

: a small three-wheeled motorized vehicle that typically has a driver's seat in front, a small passenger compartment in back, and a folding top or hardtop

Examples of rickshaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Out on the promenade, nostalgic cyclo bike rickshaws waited for drivers and riders. —Jia H. Jung, Mercury News, 15 Apr. 2025

Dozens of families quit their homes in Tel Al-Sultan heading northward to Khan Younis, some on foot, while others carried their belongings and children on donkey carts and rickshaws. —Nidal Al-Mughrabi, USA TODAY, 23 Mar. 2025

Bumped and bustled on scruffy buses, crowded trains and narrow rickshaws. —Laura Manske, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025

But there was no rest for the weary, as once Frank books Ryan, Lewis and the camera hopped onto a rickshaw to get pulled back down the road to hand the camera off to a drone. —Sarah Shachat, IndieWire, 21 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of jinrikisha

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rickshaw

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Kids Definition

rickshaw

noun

rick·​shaw

variants also ricksha

ˈrik-ˌshȯ 

: a small hooded carriage with two wheels that is pulled by one person and was used originally in Japan