Definition of "gypsy"

gypsy

/ˈd͡ʒɪp.si/

noun
plural gypsies
1. (sometimes offensive) Alternative form of Gypsy: a member of the Romani people.
2. (colloquial) An itinerant person or any person, not necessarily Romani; a tinker, a traveller or a carny.
  Quotations
  Like a right gypsy, hath, at fast and loose, Beguiled me to the very heart of loss.
  c. 1606–1607, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Anthonie and Cleopatra”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, [Act II, scene vii]
3. (sometimes offensive) A move in contra dancing in which two dancers walk in a circle around each other while maintaining eye contact (but not touching as in a swing). (Compare whole gyp, half gyp, and gypsy meltdown, in which this step precedes a swing.)
4. (theater) A member of a Broadway musical chorus line.
5. (dated) A person with a dark complexion.
6. (dated) A sly, roguish woman.
7. (dated, colloquial) A fortune teller
adjective
not comparable
1. Alternative form of Gypsy: of or belonging to the Romani people.
2. (offensive) Of or having the qualities of an itinerant person or group with qualities traditionally ascribed to Romani people; making a living from dishonest practices or theft etc.
verb
third-person singular simple present gypsies, present participle gypsying, simple past and past participle gypsied
1. (intransitive) To roam around the country like a gypsy.
  Quotations
  The rest of the day is spent out of doors "Gypsying", and families greatly enjoy themselves on these occasions.
  1885, Richard F. Burton, chapter XX, in The Book of the Thousand Nights and a Night, volume I, The Burton Club, page 199 footnote
2. To perform the gypsy step in contra dancing.
  Quotations
  Look at the person you're gypsying with, and convey the message that you notice them as a person and that you're glad that they're there, […]
  1992 April 7, win...@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu, “contra-gypsies”, in rec.folk-dancing (Usenet)
  The only one I know of is The Tease by Tom Hinds which starts with the actives gypsying and then swinging their neighbors and ends with contra […]
  1998 September 9, Jonathan Sivier, “Contra Corners - followed by gypsy”, in rec.folk-dancing (Usenet)

Definition of "gypsy"

gypsy

noun

Quotations

adjective

verb

Quotations

Quotations