carny

American  

[kahr-nee] / ˈkɑr ni /

Or carney

noun

plural

carnies

1. a person employed by a carnival.

2. carnival.

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adjective

1. of or relating to carnivals.

   carny slang.

carny ¹ British  

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

noun

1. short for carnival

2. a person who works in a carnival

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carny ² British  

/ ˈkɑːnɪ /

verb

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

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Etymology

Origin of carny

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

Example Sentences

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

From Los Angeles Times

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.

From Los Angeles Times

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

From Los Angeles Times

Professional wrestling and carny culture can be great fun.

From Salon

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

From Los Angeles Times