noun
jitney
A nickel or other small coin in older American usage.
In the old story, a jitney buys a small treat.
Etymology
Jitney was American slang for a small coin, especially a nickel. Its deeper origin is uncertain; the later transport name came from a typical five-cent fare.
More examples
- He drops his last jitney into the shopkeeper's hand.
- She counts three jitneys and slips them into her purse.
- The boy asks his father for a jitney.
Forms
jitney · jitneys
Similar words
- nickel
- Names a five-cent coin without the old-fashioned slang tone.
- penny
- Specifically names a one-cent coin, not any small coin.