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Calypso

American  
[kuh-lip-soh] / kəˈlɪp soʊ /

noun

plural

Calypsos

  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

"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
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

"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
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

"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

Other Word Forms

  • calypsonian noun

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

Vocabulary lists containing calypso

National Spelling Bee '14: Prelims Round 2

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Central America and the Caribbean - Introductory

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When Shams’ father told her that the centre had been demolished, she was terrified for Calypso.

From BBC • Aug. 11, 2024

The sources close to the deal said that is in line with what Thoma Bravo paid combined for regulatory software firm AxiomSL and financial software maker Calypso, which it merged into Adenza.

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

Parishioners in wooden pews, illuminated by sunlight from stained-glass windows, swayed, lifted their arms and sang along to songs infused with Calypso beats.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 4, 2022

Charlie has a buddy who works for Calypso Fire Rescue, and he said Jesse's knots were the best he’d ever seen.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.