Jump To:

• Calypso
  Calypso

  noun

  Also Kalypso a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years.
• calypso
  calypso

  noun

  a popular type of satirical, usually topical, West Indian ballad, esp from Trinidad, usually extemporized to a percussive syncopated accompaniment

Calypso

American  

[kuh-lip-soh] / kəˈlɪp soʊ /

noun

• Calypsos
  plural

1. Classical Mythology. Also Kalypso a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years.

2. Also called fairy-slipper.  (lowercase) a terrestrial orchid, Calypso bulbosa, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a single variegated purple, yellow, and white flower.

3. (lowercase) a musical style of West Indian origin, influenced by jazz, usually having topical, often improvised, lyrics.

---

verb (used without object)

1. (lowercase) to sing or dance to calypso.

calypso ¹ British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. a popular type of satirical, usually topical, West Indian ballad, esp from Trinidad, usually extemporized to a percussive syncopated accompaniment

2. a dance done to the rhythm of this song

---

Calypso ² British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. Greek myth (in Homer's Odyssey ) a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years

---

calypso ³ British  

/ kəˈlɪpsəʊ /

noun

1. a rare N temperate orchid, Calypso (or Cytherea ) bulbosa, whose flower is pink or white with purple and yellow markings

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• calypsonian
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Calypsos
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Calypso

The name of the musical style is of obscure origin and perhaps only copies the spelling of Calypso the sea nymph

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Calypso calypso Calypsos

Samantha Morton’s Circe is the most obvious, along with Charlize Theron’s Calypso.

From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026

He visited many lands, but mostly dwelt with the nymph Calypso on her island.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

I dig that choice — it’s bold — yet still think he flubs it by not replacing the magical powers of Charlize Theron’s Calypso and Zendaya’s Athena with, say, a personality.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026

Charlize Theron is appropriately enchanting as Calypso, whose charms waylay and confuse Odysseus.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 2026

‘Maybe not . . . you know, Calypso beautiful, but still. Piper kept the snake king’s gaze. ‘What are your real intentions?’

From "Blood of Olympus" by Rick Riordan

"St. Thomas," which appeared on "Saxophone Colossus" and became his best-known song, incorporated Caribbean calypso that he had heard as a child.

From Barron's ● May 26, 2026

One of the tracks, a brightly melodic calypso theme titled “St. Thomas,” is Rollins’ best known composition, and a standard in the lexicon of jazz tunes.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 26, 2026

Mr. Cliff entered these contests early and began writing songs that were a mash of ska, rock-steady and calypso, globally popular then thanks to a string of hits by Harry Belafonte.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 24, 2025

The music for Nintendo’s Super Mario games had a Latin and calypso influence that fits the hippity-hoppity gameplay as well as the sunny environs of the Mushroom Kingdom.

From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2024

The marina was momentarily quiet except for the merry chime of steel drums from the Coral Queen’s calypso band.

From "Flush" by Carl Hiaasen

And the Laird of Cockpen either marries the next young lady on his list, or, departing to far lands, discovers that the supply of Calypsos and Ariadnes is practically unlimited.

From The Crooked Stick or Pollies's Probation by Rolf Boldrewood

Ah, these Aspasias, these Circes, these Calypsos, these Cleopatras, with their blue, their gray, their amber eyes!

From Man on the Box by Harold MacGrath