Jim-Crow

or jim-crow

[ jim-kroh ]
/ ˈdʒɪmˈkroʊ /

adjective

favoring or supporting Jim Crow.
for black people only: a Jim-Crow school.

Definition for jim-crow (2 of 2)

Jim Crow

or jim crow

noun

a practice or policy of segregating or discriminating against black people, as in public places, public vehicles, or employment.
Disparaging and Offensive. a contemptuous term used to refer to a black person.

Origin of Jim Crow

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40; so called from the name of a song sung by Thomas Rice (1808–60) in a minstrel show

Example sentences from the Web for jim-crow

  • His jim-crow freight outfit didn't cut much of a figure in their track schedules.

    Held for Orders |Frank H. Spearman

  • Accustomed to the jim-crow coach, the Pullman with its comfortable bed, its luxurious dining-car, was a revelation.

    The Shadow |Mary White Ovington

  • This is the meaning of the Southern movement for segregating the races, of its jim-crow car laws and waiting-rooms.

    The Ultimate Criminal |Archibald H. Grimke

British Dictionary definitions for jim-crow

jim crow
/ (ˈdʒɪm ˈkrəʊ) /

noun (often capitals) US

  1. the policy or practice of segregating Black people
  2. (as modifier)jim-crow laws
  1. a derogatory term for a Black person
  2. (as modifier)a jim-crow saloon
an implement for bending iron bars or rails
a crowbar fitted with a claw

Derived forms of jim crow

jim-crowism, noun

Word Origin for jim crow

C19: from Jim Crow, name of song used as the basis of an act by Thomas Rice (1808–60), American entertainer

Cultural definitions for jim-crow

Jim Crow

A descriptive term for the segregation of institutions, businesses, hotels, restaurants, and the like. It also refers to the laws that required racial segregation.