jitney

J8I1T1N1E1Y4
/ˈd͡ʒɪtni//ˈʒiː-/

noun

Synonym of nickel, a 5-cent coin or amount.

UncommonScrabble 16

Meanings

nounjitney (plural jitneys)

plural jitneys

  1. USarchaicSynonym of nickel, a 5-cent coin or amount.

    Synonyms: nickel

  2. Synonym of minibus, especially one with a scheduled fixed route.

    Synonyms: minibus

  3. Synonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.

    Synonyms: gypsy cab

  4. Synonym of shared taxi, a taxi usually shared with strangers to maximize profitability per trip.
    1 more example

    […] I said good-by and took the bags downstairs and hailed a Frisco taxi-jitney, which was an ordinary taxi that ran a regular route and you could hail it from any corner and ride to any corner you want for about fifteen cents, cramped in with other passengers like on a bus, but talking and telling jokes like in a private car.

    1957 September 5, Jack Kerouac, chapter 4, in On the Road, New York, N.Y.: Viking Press, →OCLC, part 3

    Synonyms: shared taxi

  5. CanadaAn informal lawn bowling, curling, or darts competition in which all players present are randomly drawn into teams.
  6. A fraudulent arrangement whereby a broker who has direct access to an exchange executes trades on behalf of a broker who does not.
adjectivejitney (not comparable)
  1. USarchaicnot comparableSynonym of cheap, very inexpensive.

    Synonyms: cheap, very inexpensive

Synonyms & antonyms

nounSynonym of nickel, a 5-cent coin or amount.

Similar

nounSynonym of minibus, especially one with a scheduled fixed route.

Similar

nounSynonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.

Similar

nounSynonym of shared taxi, a taxi usually shared with strangers to maximize profitability per trip.

adjectiveSynonym of cheap, very inexpensive.

Similar
cheapvery inexpensive

More synonyms by meaning

nouna vehicle carrying many passengers; used for public transport

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchjeton“token, coin-sized metal disc”
  2. Louisiana Creolejetnée
  3. Englishjitney

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.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

jitney. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney

MLA

“jitney.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jitney,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney.

Source: jitney on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.