Meanings
plural jitneys
- Synonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.
Synonyms: gypsy cab
- 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 3Synonyms: shared taxi
- CanadaAn informal lawn bowling, curling, or darts competition in which all players present are randomly drawn into teams.
- A fraudulent arrangement whereby a broker who has direct access to an exchange executes trades on behalf of a broker who does not.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSynonym of nickel, a 5-cent coin or amount.
nounSynonym of minibus, especially one with a scheduled fixed route.
nounSynonym of gypsy cab, an unlicensed taxi.
nounSynonym of shared taxi, a taxi usually shared with strangers to maximize profitability per trip.
adjectiveSynonym of cheap, very 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
- Frenchjeton“token, coin-sized metal disc”
- Louisiana Creolejetnée
- 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.
More words from Louisiana Creole, French
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
jitney. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney
“jitney.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jitney,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jitney.
Source: jitney on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.