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rickshaw

/ˈrɪkʃɑ/
/ˈrɪkʃɔ/
IPA guide

Other forms: rickshaws

A rickshaw is a little taxi on two wheels. People sit in it and an energetic person pedals or pulls them to where they want to go. Rickshaws are still around, but cars have made them less popular.

A rickshaw is a like a taxi — you pay its driver for a ride — but rickshaws are typically only large enough for one or two passengers. The earliest Japanese rickshaws were lifted and pulled by a person who walked or ran. Newer versions are pulled by a bike or driven like a car — these are sometimes called "auto rickshaws." The word itself comes from the Japanese jinrikisha, from jin, "man," riki, "power," and sha, "carriage."

Definitions of rickshaw
  1. noun
    a small two-wheeled cart for one passenger; pulled by one person
    synonyms: jinrikisha, ricksha
    see moresee less
    type of:
    cart
    a heavy open wagon usually having two wheels and drawn by an animal
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