jitney
/ˈd͡ʒɪtni/ noun, adjective
Forms jitneys
- noun (US, archaic) Synonym of nickel, a 5-cent coin or amount.
- noun Synonym of minibus, especially one with a scheduled fixed route.
- noun Synonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.
- noun Synonym of shared taxi, a taxi usually shared with strangers to maximize profitability per trip.
- noun (Canada) An informal lawn bowling, curling, or darts competition in which all players present are randomly drawn into teams.
- noun A fraudulent arrangement whereby a broker who has direct access to an exchange executes trades on behalf of a broker who does not.
- adjective (US, archaic) Synonym of cheap, very inexpensive.
Synonyms
nickel minibus gypsy cab shared taxi cheap very inexpensive bus autobus coach charabanc double-decker motorbus motorcoach omnibus passenger vehicle
Etymology
1886, originally for a five-cent US coin (a nickel); use for taxis and buses due to these services originally charging five cents as fare, popularized circa 1915.
The etymology is uncertain; it is believed to originate from Louisiana Creole jetnée, from French jeton (“token, coin-sized metal disc”), though this is disputed. Evidence for the Louisiana Creole French origin includes the geographic distribution (Southeastern US, especially Black/African-American), and early spelling as gitney, which is common French spelling for the /ʒi/ pronunciation.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “jitney”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details