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rickshaw

noun
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rick·​shaw | \ ˈrik-ˌshȯ How to pronounce rickshaw (audio) \
variants: or less commonly ricksha

Definition of rickshaw

: a small covered 2-wheeled vehicle usually for one passenger that is pulled by one man and that was used originally in Japan

Examples of rickshaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Both ride-hailing giants have seen a big spike in auto-rickshaw rides, too. — Ananya Bhattacharya, Quartz India, "“More work, less money”—the reality of India’s ride-hailing services in a post-Covid world," 22 Feb. 2021 Freedom from being enclosed in a rickshaw, pulled by a servant who was an extension of her mother’s watchful eye. — Jade Chang Kiese Makeba Laymon Carina Del Valle Schorske Dessa Irina Aleksander Sam Dolnick Mark Binelli Maggie Jones Rob Hoerburger Jamie Lauren Keiles Devin Gordon Jazmine Hughes Jenna Wortham Taffy Brodesser-akner Kaitlyn Greenidge Reginald Dwayne Betts Rowan Ricardo Phillips Michael Paterniti Wesley Morris Ismail Muhammad Anthony Giardina, New York Times, "Remembering some of the artists, innovators and thinkers we lost in the past year.," 24 Dec. 2020 Long before the advent of cable news or the Internet, Mr. Topping relied on telegrams to get the news out, taking a rickshaw or sprinting to the Beijing cable office to beat his competitors after a news conference ended. — Washington Post, "Seymour Topping, New York Times correspondent and editor, dies at 98," 8 Nov. 2020 Sayeda’s father was a cycle-rickshaw driver, ferrying passengers for a pittance. — Smita Sharma, National Geographic, "Stolen lives: The harrowing story of two girls sold into sexual slavery," 28 Sep. 2020 Women in India have more places to turn to in domestic abuse situations, thanks to some compassionate rickshaw drivers and centers dedicated to supporting abuse survivors. — Lindsey Mcginnis, The Christian Science Monitor, "Points of Progress: Zimbabwe bans mining in parks, and more," 25 Sep. 2020 Once families move to the city, men and boys can look for jobs in construction, at one of the ubiquitous brick factories, or driving a rickshaw; women and girls look for positions as domestic help or in a garment factory. — Manavi Kapur, Quartz, "India’s megacities aren’t prepared for a wave of climate migrants," 3 Sep. 2020 His family had to walk 6 miles in the freezing cold before they were eventually picked up by a local driving an auto-rickshaw. — Barnini Chakraborty, Fox News, "Chinese woman who lost father to coronavirus sues government for apology, compensation," 1 Sep. 2020 Her father, whose injury in an accident left him unable to walk, had earned a living by driving an auto rickshaw. — BostonGlobe.com, "Boris Johnson backs top aide accused of flouting lockdown rules," 25 May 2020

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'rickshaw.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of rickshaw

1879, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for rickshaw

alteration of jinrikisha

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Time Traveler for rickshaw

Time Traveler

The first known use of rickshaw was in 1879

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Statistics for rickshaw

Last Updated

1 Mar 2021

Cite this Entry

“Rickshaw.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rickshaw. Accessed 21 Apr. 2021.

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More Definitions for rickshaw

rickshaw

noun
How to pronounce rickshaw (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of rickshaw

: a small, light vehicle with two wheels that is pulled by one person on foot or on a bicycle and that is used in some Asian countries

See the full definition for rickshaw in the English Language Learners Dictionary

rickshaw

noun
rick·​shaw
variants: also ricksha \ ˈrik-​ˌshȯ \

Kids Definition of rickshaw

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

More from Merriam-Webster on rickshaw

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for rickshaw

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about rickshaw

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