carjacking, n. orig. and chiefly U.S.
(kɑːdʒækɪŋ)
Also car-jacking.
[f. car n.1 + hi)jacking vbl.n. s.v. hijack v.]
The stealing or commandeering of an occupied car by threatening the driver with violence; theft from or abduction of a driver by such means.
| 1991 Detroit News 29 Aug. 1a/6 Most of the motorists victimized by carjacking..are city residents often attacked in their own neighborhood. 1992 Independent 13 Nov. 19/2 Carjacking has become such an epidemic that President George Bush has signed a law sentencing carjackers automatically to 15 years in jail for the crime, and life imprisonment if it involves death. 1993 Premiere Mar. 37/1 In L.A., car-jacking has surpassed drive-by shooting as the crime du jour. 1994 Post (Denver) 23 Jan. a14/1 [He] was shot in the head during a carjacking in southwest Denver. |
So (as a back-formation) ˈcarjack v. trans. and n.; ˈcarjacker n.
| 1991 Detroit News 29 Aug. 1a/2 In a week ending Aug. 25, at least 40 people fell prey to carjackers, weapon wielding car thieves. 1991 Economist 14 Sept. 46/1 In the past six weeks more than 300 drivers have been carjacked in Detroit. 1992 Washington Times 6 Oct. b2/4 ‘If your car's being carjacked, give the car up,’ Mr Schaefer said. ‘Don't fight back.’ 1992 Daily Tel. (Weekend Suppl.) 31 Oct. p.xxv/4 New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Detroit and Washington have all reported significant rises in carjacks in the past 12 months. 1993 G. Donaldson Ville 44 The victim of the carjack was beaten and stripped of his clothes. 1994 Coloradoan (Fort Collins) 23 Jan. f3/2 Some people have a negative association with their houses—people who have been attacked in their homes..or carjacked in their garages. |