gypsy
Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word gypsy. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word gypsy, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say gypsy in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word gypsy you have here. The definition of the word gypsy will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofgypsy, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
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 (date written), 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
|
Adjective
gypsy (not comparable)
- Alternative form of Gypsy: of or belonging to the Romani people.
- Itinerant; of or having the qualities of an itinerant person or group.
- (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.