gypsy
noun
Roma.
gypsy
American
[jip-see]
/ ˈdʒɪp si /
especially British,
Gipsy
noun
-
gypsies
plural
-
(initial capital letter) Roma.
-
(initial capital letter) (not in technical use) the Indic language of the Roma; Romani.
-
a person held to resemble a Roma, especially in physical characteristics or in a traditionally ascribed freedom or inclination to move from place to place.
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Informal. gypsy cab.
-
Informal. an independent, usually nonunion trucker, hauler, operator, etc.
-
Slang. a chorus dancer, especially in the Broadway theater.
-
(in horse racing) gyp.
adjective
-
(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Roma; Romani.
-
Informal. working independently or without a license.
gypsy truckers.
Gypsy
British
/ ˈdʒɪpsɪ /
noun
-
-
a member of a people scattered throughout Europe and North America, who maintain a nomadic way of life in industrialized societies. They migrated from NW India from about the 9th century onwards
-
( as modifier )
a Gypsy fortune-teller
-
-
the language of the Gypsies; Romany
-
a person who looks or behaves like a Gypsy
Sensitive Note
The Roma have commonly been called Gypsies . However, Gypsy is a word that has also been used as a disparaging slur for this ethnic group, and many Romani people find it offensive. The collective members of this tribe are best referred to with the plural noun Roma . To refer to an individual, Rom and Romani are the preferred singular forms.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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Gypsydomnoun
-
Gypsyhoodnoun
-
gypsydomnoun
-
gypsyhoodnoun
-
gypsyismnoun
-
non-Gypsynoun
-
Gypsy-likeadjective
-
Gypsyishadjective
-
gypseianadjective
-
gypsyesqueadjective
-
gypsyishadjective
-
gypsylikeadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of gypsy
First recorded in 1505–15; back formation of gipcyan, variant of Egyptian (showing a loss of the unstressed initial syllable), from the mistaken belief that Gypsies came originally from Egypt
Vocabulary lists containing gypsy
Scrabble: Words with no Vowels
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Example Sentences
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See Examples For:
The gypsy moth was renamed the spongy moth by the Entomological Society of America last year, and the former Hottentot Teal, a duck, was renamed the Blue-Billed Teal by the American Ornithological Society.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 12, 2023
In 2022, for instance, the Entomological Society of America adopted spongy moth for the invasive moth Lymantria dispar, getting rid of gypsy moth.
From Science Magazine ● Sep. 5, 2023
He sent a beautiful old psychedelically-painted gypsy caravan to the island by helicopter in 1967.
From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2022
An infestation of gypsy moths was visible on the trunk; gauzy deposits of tiny eggs were imperiling the tree’s health.
From New York Times ● Sep. 13, 2021
The Agriculture Department itself has credited these importations with appreciably reducing the frequency and destructiveness of gypsy moth outbreaks.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Victory would move Joshua to the brink of an all-British heavyweight showdown with Tyson Fury, as long as 'The Gypsy King' also wins his warm-up fight against Mariusz Wach in Thailand on Friday.
From BBC ● Jul. 23, 2026
Campaigner Sherrie Smith, who founded Gypsy and Travellers Essex, pointed out that people felt they had no choice but to build plots unlawfully and then seek retrospective planning permission later.
From BBC ● May 7, 2026
Still, another hiatus from the sport leaves questions about what the Gypsy King has left to give in boxing.
From BBC ● Apr. 10, 2026
"That takes about eight to 10 minutes per portion, the time that the gas has to be on continuously," said Aditi Limaye Kamat, whose family owns Gypsy and several other eateries.
From Barron's ● Mar. 12, 2026
And Penelope, too, was half expecting a letter, for she had written to Simon in that morning’s post inquiring about the Gypsy woman.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
Heidegger’s noble guests cavorted as milkmaids, chimney sweeps, gypsies, “Indian kings” and even a “nude” Adam wearing a body stocking and fig leaves.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 22, 2026
In 1983, he wrote and directed “Angelo, My Love,” a drama inspired by and starring gypsies Duvall came to know in New York City.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 16, 2026
Looking on were the usual suspects of Rio’s Carnival scene: revelers dressed as folkloric characters, jaguars, gypsies and ‘bate-bolas’ – exuberant clowns in identical, elaborate outfits who travel in packs.
From Seattle Times ● Feb. 9, 2024
The community is distinct from Romany gypsies and Irish travellers, but have faced many overlapping prejudices and inequalities, said Vanessa Toulmin, a professor at the University of Sheffield.
From BBC ● Jul. 16, 2021
On Saturday night, José Arcadio wrapped a red cloth around his head and left with the gypsies.
From "One Hundred Years of Solitude" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
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.
