carny

Or car·ney

[kahr-nee]

noun

plural

carnies 

1. a person employed by a carnival.

2. carnival.

adjective

1. of or relating to carnivals.

   carny slang.

carny

¹

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

noun

1. short for carnival

2. a person who works in a carnival

carny

²

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

verb

1. informal,  to coax or cajole or act in a wheedling manner

Word History and Origins

Origin of carny¹

First recorded in 1930–35; carn(ival) + -y ²

Word History and Origins

Origin of carny¹

C19: of unknown origin

Example Sentences

How could a mere carny know about the music business, or qualify him to steward the king of rock ‘n’ roll?

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He eventually ended up in Florida, where he became a jack-of-all-trades carny and developed a sharp instinct for advance publicity and promotion.

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Once out of the carny racket, McCurdy became more famous in death than he had been in life.

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Professional wrestling and carny culture can be great fun.

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Hollywood came calling, and Robertson was cast as a lead in the 1980 film “Carny,” which he also produced.

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