jockey
verb/ˈdʒɒki/
/ˈdʒɑːki/
[intransitive]Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they jockey | /ˈdʒɒki/ /ˈdʒɑːki/ |
| he / she / it jockeys | /ˈdʒɒkiz/ /ˈdʒɑːkiz/ |
| past simple jockeyed | /ˈdʒɒkid/ /ˈdʒɑːkid/ |
| past participle jockeyed | /ˈdʒɒkid/ /ˈdʒɑːkid/ |
| -ing form jockeying | /ˈdʒɒkiɪŋ/ /ˈdʒɑːkiɪŋ/ |
- jockey (with somebody) (for something) | jockey (with somebody) (to do something) to try all possible ways of gaining an advantage over other people
- The runners jockeyed for position at the start.
- The bands are constantly jockeying with each other for the number one spot.
- Several key figures are already jockeying to succeed the leader.
- The firms often adopt quite different strategies as they jockey for position.
Word Originlate 16th cent.: diminutive of Jock. Originally the name for an ordinary man, lad, or underling, the word came to mean ‘mounted courier’, hence the current sense (late 17th cent.). Another early use ‘horse-dealer’ (which was symbolic of dishonesty) probably gave rise to the verb sense ‘manipulate’, whereas the main verb sense probably relates to the behaviour of jockeys manoeuvring for an advantageous position during a race.Want to learn more?
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