jockey

The word “jockey” means a person who rides horses professionally in races. In plain terms, a professional horse-race rider, or — as a verb — to maneuver cleverly to gain an edge.

“Jockey” is pronounced JO-kee (/ˈd͡ʒɑki/ in IPA).

Here is “jockey” used in a sentence: “The jockey guided her horse to a narrow win.”

Depending on how it is used, “jockey” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “jockey” dates back to around 1500. Originally a diminutive of Jock (itself a Scots form of "John"), used generically for horse-dealers and riders from the 16th century onward.

“Jockey” is an uncommon word in modern English.

“Jockey” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person who rides horses professionally in races.

A jockey specifically refers to a professional who rides horses in competitive races, while a rider is a more general term for anyone on horseback, professional or not. Every jockey is a rider, but not every rider is a jockey.

To jockey for position uses the verb sense of jockey, meaning to maneuver skillfully for advantage in a competitive situation. It is often applied outside of horse racing, such as in business, politics, or sports, to describe people jostling for a better standing.

In compounds like disc jockey, jockey extends from its racing sense to mean someone who operates or controls a particular kind of machine or role, such as playing music. The word keeps its core idea of skillfully handling or managing something.