Jockie

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A small, light professional who rides racehorses in competitive races, often seen as a variant spelling of jockey
2. A rider of racehorses, typically a light and skilled person who competes on horseback for a living
3. Someone who steers a horse during a race, usually a lightweight professional rider employed by an owner or trainer

Etymology: Jockie is a Scots diminutive of "Jock," the Scottish familiar form of "Jack," which in turn is a pet form of "John." Like other nicknames built from personal names, it was a friendly label for a lad or a fellow, and the "-ie" ending is the Scots diminutive suffix used across Scottish speech. The same pet name gave English "jockey." Its original sense was a rough or cunning fellow, and it was later used of a horse dealer, sometimes one with a reputation for trickery. The sense of a rider in a race came later, and the connection to "Jock" is why the word is closely tied to Scottish nicknames. The spelling "jockie" keeps the Scots diminutive form visible.