gypsy
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See also: Gypsy
English
Alternative forms
Etymology
See Gypsy. The generic usage that refers to any itinerant person.
Compare bohemian, from Bohemia.
Pronunciation
Noun
gypsy (plural gypsies)
- (sometimes offensive) Alternative form of Gypsy: a member of the Romani people.
- (colloquial) An itinerant person or any person, not necessarily Romani; a tinker, a traveller or a carny.
- c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies (First Folio), London: Isaac Iaggard, and Ed Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, :
- Like a right gypsy, hath, at fast and loose, Beguiled me to the very heart of loss.
- (sometimes offensive) A move in contra dancing in which two dancers walk in a circle around each other while maintaining eye contact (but not touching as in a swing). (Compare whole gyp, half gyp, and gypsy meltdown, in which this step precedes a swing.)
- (theater) A member of a Broadway musical chorus line.
- (dated) A person with a dark complexion.
- (dated) A sly, roguish woman.
- (dated, colloquial) A fortune teller.
Usage notes
See notes at Gypsy.
Synonyms
Derived terms
Translations
member of the Rom people — see Gypsy
member of the Rom people — see Rom
any itinerant person, or any person suspected of making a living from dishonest practices or theft
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Adjective
gypsy (not comparable)
- Alternative form of Gypsy: of or belonging to the Romani people.
- (offensive) Of or having the qualities of an itinerant person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to Romani people; making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc.
Usage notes
See the notes about Gypsy.
Derived terms
Verb
gypsy (third-person singular simple present gypsies, present participle gypsying, simple past and past participle gypsied)
- (intransitive) To roam around the country like a gypsy.
- 1885, Richard F. Burton, chapter XX, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume I, The Burton Club, page 199 footnote:
- The rest of the day is spent out of doors "Gypsying", and families greatly enjoy themselves on these occasions.
- To perform the gypsy step in contra dancing.
- 1992 April 7, [email protected], “contra-gypsies”, in rec.folk-dancing (Usenet):
- Look at the person you're gypsying with, and convey the message that you notice them as a person and that you're glad that they're there, […]
- 1998 September 9, Jonathan Sivier, “Contra Corners - followed by gypsy”, in rec.folk-dancing (Usenet):
- The only one I know of is The Tease by Tom Hinds which starts with the actives gypsying and then swinging their neighbors and ends with contra […]
See also
References
- “gypsy”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.