gypsy
Americannoun
plural
gypsies-
(initial capital letter) Roma.
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(initial capital letter) (not in technical use) the Indic language of the Roma; Romani.
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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.
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Informal. an independent, usually nonunion trucker, hauler, operator, etc.
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Slang. a chorus dancer, especially in the Broadway theater.
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(in horse racing) gyp.
adjective
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(initial capital letter) of or relating to the Roma; Romani.
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Informal. working independently or without a license.
gypsy truckers.
noun
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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
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( as modifier )
a Gypsy fortune-teller
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the language of the Gypsies; Romany
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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
- Gypsy-like adjective
- Gypsydom noun
- Gypsyhood noun
- Gypsyish adjective
- gypseian adjective
- gypsydom noun
- gypsyesque adjective
- gypsyhood noun
- gypsyish adjective
- gypsyism noun
- gypsylike adjective
- non-Gypsy noun
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
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.
Heat-treating wood, for example, can also help ward off the gypsy moth, spotted lanternfly and the Asian long-horned beetle, Tamm said.
From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2024
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
Mr Balaz said it was unlikely the increase he had observed would show up in official data, because so many Roma families were reluctant to identify themselves as Roma or gypsy.
From BBC • Mar. 11, 2023
This spring, I was finally introduced to its very hungry caterpillars, the larval stage of the insect formerly known as the gypsy moth before it was renamed this year.
From Seattle Times • Oct. 13, 2022
And she kissed him, gently, on the mouth, with lips that tasted of crushed blackberries, then she stood up and walked back into the gypsy caravan behind the stall.
From "Stardust" by Neil Gaiman
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.
