Meaning & use
trishaw
Last updated
UK/ˈtraɪ.ʃɔː/
US/ˈtraɪ.ʃɔː/
Meaning
nouncountable
A light three-wheeled vehicle pedaled by a driver, with a seat for passengers, used as a taxi in parts of Asia.
Grammar: Takes a plural: two trishaws; often with 'by' for travel: go by trishaw.
Patterns
- ride a trishaw
- go by trishaw
We toured the old town in a trishaw decorated with flowers.
The trishaw driver pedaled slowly past the temple.
Tourists can hire a trishaw for an hour near the harbor.
Word forms
| plural | trishaws |
|---|
Common combinations
- ride a trishaw
- They rode a trishaw along the waterfront.
- trishaw driver
- The trishaw driver knew every back street.
- hire a trishaw
- We hired a trishaw for the afternoon.
- by trishaw
- The market is best explored by trishaw.
- trishaw ride
- A trishaw ride costs a few dollars.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cycle rickshaw
- Cycle rickshaw is the broader term used in India and elsewhere, while trishaw is the usual name in Malaysia and Singapore.
- pedicab
- Pedicab is the usual American word and often refers to a bicycle taxi in a city or at events.
- rickshaw
- Rickshaw is wider still, because it can mean a hand-pulled cart or a motorized vehicle as well as a pedaled one.
Word family
Commonly confused: trishaw or tuk-tuk?
trishaw vs tuk-tuk
A tuk-tuk is a motorized three-wheeler, whereas a trishaw is pedaled by the driver.
Practice
What powers a trishaw?
Choose one answer.
A trishaw is a three-wheeled vehicle pedaled by its driver. A petrol engine describes a motorized tuk-tuk instead.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “trishaw”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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