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
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Gypsyhoodnoun
-
gypsydomnoun
-
gypsyhoodnoun
-
gypsyismnoun
-
non-Gypsynoun
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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:
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
"All he wanted was to be home with me and his pet kitty, Charley, playing his gypsy guitar."
From BBC ● Dec. 5, 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
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
Meanwhile, the Department’s Plant Pest Control men had temporarily forgotten gypsy moths, for they had been busy launching an even more ambitious program in the South.
From "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson
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
Joshua, meanwhile, took aim at British rival Tyson Fury - Tommy's brother - and refused a £1m bet 'The Gypsy King' says he will place on a Paul win.
From BBC ● Nov. 21, 2025
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
It was full and round as a loaf of Gypsy cake, and bright enough to cast long, dancing shadows on the grass.
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
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
In “The World Doesn’t End,” he wrote: “I was stolen by the gypsies. My parents stole me right back. / Then the gypsies stole me again. This went on for some time.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 9, 2023
Be that as it may, since that first witticism concerning the gypsies, I have not been able to think of other such witticisms quickly enough.
From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro
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.
