Jump To:

• Calypso
  Calypso

  noun

  Also Kalypso a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years.
• calypso
  calypso

  noun

  a popular type of satirical, usually topical, West Indian ballad, esp from Trinidad, usually extemporized to a percussive syncopated accompaniment

Calypso

American  

[kuh-lip-soh] / kəˈlɪp soʊ /

noun

Calypsos plural

1. Classical Mythology. Also Kalypso a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years.

2. Also called fairy-slipper.  (lowercase) a terrestrial orchid, Calypso bulbosa, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a single variegated purple, yellow, and white flower.

3. (lowercase) a musical style of West Indian origin, influenced by jazz, usually having topical, often improvised, lyrics.

---

verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to sing or dance to calypso.

calypso ¹ British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. a popular type of satirical, usually topical, West Indian ballad, esp from Trinidad, usually extemporized to a percussive syncopated accompaniment

2. a dance done to the rhythm of this song

---

Calypso ² British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. Greek myth (in Homer's Odyssey ) a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years

---

calypso ³ British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. a rare N temperate orchid, Calypso (or Cytherea ) bulbosa, whose flower is pink or white with purple and yellow markings

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• calypsonian
  noun

Inflected Forms

noun

• Calypsos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Calypso

The name of the musical style is of obscure origin and perhaps only copies the spelling of Calypso the sea nymph

Example Sentences

They said clients for Adenza's Calypso offering include tier 3 banks with under $10 billion in assets and tier 2 banks with $10 billion to $100 billion in assets.

From Reuters • Jun. 22, 2023

Another potential prospect is the Calypso field, off the coast of the island of Tobago, which could be the nation’s first deepwater gas field.

From New York Times • May 15, 2023

"Day-O" is the most famous track from 1956's "Calypso," one of the 30 studio albums Belafonte would release during his lifetime.

From Salon • Apr. 26, 2023

Harry Belafonte, who has died at the age of 96, was far more than just the "Calypso King".

From BBC • Apr. 25, 2023

I wouldn’t have, but Marcus lives on the other side of Calypso, and it was too warm outside to walk.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson