tuk-tuk

US/tʊk.tʊk/

noun

A motorized rickshaw, especially Southeast Asia or India.

Similar
autoautorickshawauto rickshawbajajsaamlawsongthaew
OriginThai ตุ๊ก ๆ →
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Meanings

nountuk-tuk (plural tuk-tuks)

plural tuk-tuks · alternative tuk tuk

  1. A motorized rickshaw, especially Southeast Asia or India.

    Photographs containing blurry night shots from Kao San Road, as well as one where a tuk tuk almost hits an elephant.

    2012, The Onion Book of Known Knowledge, page 17

    Synonyms: auto, autorickshaw, auto rickshaw, bajaj, saamlaw, songthaew

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA motorized rickshaw, especially Southeast Asia or India.

Similar
autoautorickshawauto rickshawbajajsaamlawsongthaew

Origin

  1. Thaiตุ๊ก ๆ
  2. Englishtuk-tuk

From Thai ตุ๊ก ๆ (dtúk-dtúk), onomatopoeic for the sound of its two-stroke engine.

More words from Thai

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Cantonese 篤篤 /笃笃, 篤篤車 /笃笃车
  • 篤篤 /笃笃 (duk¹ duk¹)vehicle
  • 篤篤車 /笃笃车 (duk¹ duk¹ ce¹)vehicle
Chinese Mandarin 嘟嘟車 /嘟嘟车
  • 嘟嘟車 /嘟嘟车 (dūdūchē)vehicle
Dutch tuktuk
  • tuktukvehicle
Finnish tuk-tuk
  • tuk-tukvehicle
Hindi ऑटो रिक्शा, टुकटुक
  • ऑटो रिक्शा (ŏṭo rikśā)vehicle
  • टुकटुक (ṭukṭuk)vehicle
  • ऑटो (ŏṭo)vehicle
  • आटो (āṭo)vehicle
Indonesian bajaj
  • bajajvehicle
Japanese オート・リクシャー, 三輪タクシー
  • オート・リクシャー (ōto-rikushā)vehicle
  • 三輪タクシー (sanrin takushī)vehicle
  • トゥクトゥク (tukutuku)vehicle
Korean 툭툭, 삼륜 택시
  • 툭툭 (tuktuk)vehicle
  • 삼륜 택시 (samnyun taeksi)vehicle
Polish autoriksza, tuk-tuk
  • autorikszavehicle
  • tuk-tukvehicle
Portuguese tuque-tuque
  • tuque-tuquevehicle
Russian тук-ту́к
  • тук-ту́к (tuk-túk)vehicle
Spanish mototaxi
  • mototaxivehicle
Tagalog traysikel
  • traysikelvehicle
Thai ตุ๊ก ๆ, ตุ๊กตุ๊ก
  • ตุ๊ก ๆ (dtúk-dtúk)vehicle
  • ตุ๊กตุ๊ก (dtúk-dtúk)vehicle
  • รถสามล้อ (rót-sǎam-lɔ́ɔ)vehicle
  • สามล้อ (sǎam-lɔ́ɔ)vehicle
Urdu آٹو رکشا
  • آٹو رکشا (oṭo rikśā)vehicle
Vietnamese xe lam, xe xích lô
  • xe lamvehicle
  • xe xích lôvehicle
  • xích lôvehicle
  • túc túcvehicle
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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