Calypso

[ kuh-lip-soh ]

noun,plural Ca·lyp·sos.
  1. Also Kalypso .Classical Mythology. a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years.

  2. (lowercase)Also called fair·y-slip·per [fair-ee-slip-er] /ˈfɛər iˌslɪp ər/ . a terrestrial orchid, Calypso bulbosa, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a single variegated purple, yellow, and white flower.

  1. (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.

Origin of Calypso

1
The name of the musical style is of obscure origin and perhaps only copies the spelling of Calypso the sea nymph

Other words from Calypso

  • ca·lyp·so·ni·an [kuh-lip-soh-nee-uhn, kal-ip-], /kə lɪpˈsoʊ ni ən, ˌkæl ɪp-/, noun, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use Calypso in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for calypso (1 of 3)

calypso1

/ (kəˈlɪpsəʊ) /


nounplural -sos
  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

Origin of calypso

1
C20: probably from Calypso

British Dictionary definitions for calypso (2 of 3)

calypso2

/ (kəˈlɪpsəʊ) /


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

Origin of calypso

2
C19: named after Calypso

British Dictionary definitions for Calypso (3 of 3)

Calypso

/ (kəˈlɪpsəʊ) /


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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012