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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
"We deeply regret any distress caused, particularly to members of the traveller and gypsy communities who have been directly affected," the company added.
From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2024
Washington has had success over the past five decades in detecting and eradicating the pests — formerly known as gypsy moths.
From Seattle Times ● May 9, 2024
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
The gypsy moth lure was the first insect sex attractant to be synthesized, but probably there will soon be others.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
Many expected 'the Gypsy King' to fly straight to Jeddah for Joshua's bout, with the pair potentially announcing their long-awaited showdown in the ring afterwards if Joshua wins.
From BBC ● Jul. 24, 2026
Queensberry promoter Frank Warren, who guides Fury, said a loss for Joshua in July would likely scupper a fight with the Gypsy King.
From BBC ● May 1, 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
In Pennsylvania, Christie recorded and released a single, “The Gypsy Cried,” that became a local hit in the Pittsburgh area.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2025
“That means the new baker must be the semi-soothless toothsayer—the themi-toothless truthsayer—” It was not easy to speak clearly with a mouth full of Gypsy cake.
From "The Long-Lost Home" 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
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
He also says there is an "educational quality" to raising it, as people know the Nazis murdered Jews, but they don't know, claims Carr, they also killed gypsies and other groups.
From BBC ● Feb. 7, 2022
I always say we’re just gypsies — vagabonds who form these tribes of weird families who go from place to place to create art: I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 13, 2021
To the south lay the swamps, covered with an eternal vegetable scum, and the whole vast universe of the great swamp, which, according to what the gypsies said, had no limits.
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.
