Hijackers

/ˈhaɪdʒækərz/ noun

People who unlawfully take control of a vehicle, aircraft, or ship by force or threats.

From 'hijack,' which emerged in American English around the 1920s during Prohibition, possibly from the phrase 'high, Jack!' used by robbers to command victims; the 'jack' may refer to a common man or derive from 'jacket.' The suffix '-er' indicates an agent noun, and '-s' marks the plural.

📖 Full word page — etymology, 47 translations, audio 🔑 Get Free API Key — 50 lookups/day 📚 Read the Docs — integrate Word Orb