shimmy
Americannoun
plural
shimmies-
an American ragtime dance marked by shaking of the hips and shoulders.
-
excessive wobbling in the front wheels of a motor vehicle.
-
a chemise.
verb (used without object)
-
to dance the shimmy.
-
to shake, wobble, or vibrate.
noun
-
an American ragtime dance with much shaking of the hips and shoulders
-
abnormal wobbling motion in a motor vehicle, esp in the front wheels or steering
-
an informal word for chemise
verb
-
to dance the shimmy
-
to vibrate or wobble
Usage
What does shimmy mean? The shimmy is a dance move that involves repeated shaking of the shoulders and hips, as in The dancer entranced the audience with her hypnotizing shimmy. Shimmy can also mean to perform the specific dance or to shake or wobble in general, as in The puppy shimmied through the tight doggy door. The noun shimmy may be accompanied by a term that says specifically which part of the body a person is shaking, as in I celebrated my big win with a shoulder shimmy. The plural of shimmy is shimmies. Example: The singer shimmied along with the back-up dancers during the guitar solo.
Etymology
Origin of shimmy
First recorded in 1830–40 shimmy for def. 3; 1915–20 shimmy for def. 1; back formation and respelling of chemise, construed as a plural
Vocabulary lists containing shimmy
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.
Adding a poignant touch to the evening, YDB took the stage to honor his late father, Ol’ Dirty Bastard, with renditions of his hits “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” and “Got Your Money.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 23, 2025
Shimmy Hoffa: Union boss who invented the shakedown.
From Washington Post • Aug. 8, 2019
He first met Reed when he let Reed use his phone, many years ago, in the Shimmy Disc building.
From The New Yorker • Mar. 2, 2017
Mr. Coco, self-named in part after the song “Shimmy, Shimmy Ko-Ko-Bop,” will say that he expects to tan more than 100 people in the days before the Oscars, leading to those early time slots.
From New York Times • Feb. 21, 2014
Down, down, baby Down by the roller coaster Sweet, sweet baby I'll never let you go Shimmy, shimmy, cocoa puff, Shimmy .
From "Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell
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.
