jim crow

n. 1. A negro; -- said to be so called from a popular negro dance song, the refrain of which is “Wheel about and turn about and jump Jim Crow, ” produced in 1835 by Thomas D. Rice (1808-1860), a famous negro minstrel; -- considered disparaging and offensive. [ Offensive slang, U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. A legally sanctioned system of racial discrimination practised in the southern United States until declared unconstitutional in 1953 and further restricted by federal legislation, by means of which negroes were segregated and discriminated against in employment and in many places of public accommodation, such as parks, commercial establishments, and public transportation. [ PJC ]