rickshaw

noun

rick·​shaw ˈrik-ˌshȯ 

variants or less commonly ricksha

plural rickshaws also rickshas

: any of various small doorless passenger vehicles used chiefly in Asia:

a

: a small 2-wheeled vehicle that is pulled by a person on foot, that holds one or two passengers, and that often has a folding top to protect the passenger seat

b

: a tricycle that has a seat for one or two passengers, a separate seat for a driver who pedals, and often a folding top to protect the passenger seat : pedicab

c

: a small three-wheeled motorized vehicle that typically has a driver's seat in front, a small passenger compartment in back, and a folding top or hardtop

Examples of rickshaw in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Qi Fei helped her with the move, each of them lugging a pet carrier and a checker-print suitcase on the back of a motor rickshaw, making the half-hour journey from Yuci to the university’s campus on move-in day in August. —Literary Hub, 6 June 2025

People were especially intrigued by imperial, foreign, and exotic subjects: queens, presidents, and maharajahs; Gothic cathedrals, volcanic mountains, the pyramids, a herd of elephants, a rickshaw. —Vince Aletti, New Yorker, 24 May 2025

Outside dusk is falling, and the city’s streets are clogged with people heading home to break the Ramadan fast, riding on rickshaws and bicycles or traveling back in cars and buses. —Simon Montlake, Christian Science Monitor, 16 May 2025

Outside, life bustles with the familiar sounds of rickshaws and friendly neighborhood chatter. —Forbes.com, 29 Apr. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of jinrikisha

First Known Use

1879, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for rickshaw

• aa
• aha
• bashaw
• bradshaw
• byelaw
• bylaw
• chainsaw
• cheraw
• coleslaw
• crenshaw
• dada
• esau

Kids Definition

rickshaw

noun

rick·​shaw

variants also ricksha

ˈrik-ˌshȯ 

: a small hooded carriage with two wheels that is pulled by one person and was used originally in Japan