Tzigane
Americanadjective
noun
noun
Etymology
Origin of Tzigane
First recorded in 1880–85; from French tzigane, probably from Hungarian cigány, akin to German Zigeuner, Romanian ţigan, Serbo-Croatian cȉganin, Bulgarian tsíganin, all ultimately from Medieval Greek (a)tsínganos, earlier athínganos member of a heretical sect of Phrygia, perhaps literally, “untouchable, inviolable” ( Greek a- “not, without” + -thinganos, derivative of thingánein “to touch”); zingaro
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.
Tzigane, a word that refers to Romani people, is now considered derogatory.
From New York Times • Apr. 25, 2024
Listen to Frances Andrade play Ravel's Tzigane Link to this audio In 1988 she met Levine Andrade, a Mumbai-born violinist and viola player, at a concert at St John's Smith Square in London.
From The Guardian • Feb. 8, 2013
Unquestionably, the star of the Homage was Suzanne Farrell, who was the focus of three ballets: Robbins' Concerto, Jacques d'Amboise's Alborada del Gracioso and Balanchine's Tzigane.
From Time Magazine Archive
And while he read, there came from the salon the notes of a Tzigane waltz played on the piano.
From Cæsar or Nothing by How, Louis
“Oh,” he said gaily, “a pretty Tzigane can save my life if she will!”
From The Dark Star by Stevens, William Dodge
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.
