GYPSY

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does Gypsy mean? 

• GYPSY (noun)
  The noun GYPSY has 4 senses:

1. a laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment

2. a member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)

3. a person who resembles a Gypsy in leading an unconventional, nomadic way of life

4. the Indic language of the Gypsies

  Familiarity information: GYPSY used as a noun is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• GYPSY (noun)

Sense 1

Meaning:

A laborer who moves from place to place as demanded by employment

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

gipsy; gypsy; itinerant

Context example:

itinerant traders

Hypernyms ("gypsy" is a kind of...):

jack; laborer; labourer; manual laborer (someone who works with their hands; someone engaged in manual labor)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "gypsy"):

swagger; swaggie; swagman (an itinerant Australian laborer who carries his personal belongings in a bundle as he travels around in search of work)

tinker (formerly a person (traditionally a Gypsy) who traveled from place to place mending pots and kettles and other metal utensils as a way to earn a living)

Sense 2

Meaning:

A member of a people with dark skin and hair who speak Romany and who traditionally live by seasonal work and fortunetelling; they are believed to have originated in northern India but now are living on all continents (but mostly in Europe, North Africa, and North America)

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

Bohemian; Gipsy; Gypsy; Roma; Romani; Romany; Rommany

Hypernyms ("Gypsy" is a kind of...):

Indian (a native or inhabitant of India)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "Gypsy"):

gitana (a Spanish female Gypsy)

gitano (a Spanish male Gypsy)

Sense 3

Meaning:

A person who resembles a Gypsy in leading an unconventional, nomadic way of life

Classified under:

Nouns denoting people

Synonyms:

gipsy; gypsy

Hypernyms ("gypsy" is a kind of...):

individual; mortal; person; somebody; someone; soul (a human being)

Sense 4

Meaning:

The Indic language of the Gypsies

Classified under:

Nouns denoting communicative processes and contents

Synonyms:

Gypsy; Romany

Hypernyms ("Gypsy" is a kind of...):

Sanskrit; Sanskritic language ((Hinduism) an ancient language of India (the language of the Vedas and of Hinduism); an official language of India although it is now used only for religious purposes)

 Context examples 

The gypsies, taking us as in some way the cause of the extraordinary disappearance of the dead man, turned, without a word, and rode away as if for their lives.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

In every other direction the moor is a complete wilderness, inhabited only by a few roaming gypsies.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It also includes persons who call themselves Gypsies from this region.

(Eastern European, NCI Thesaurus)

If it's fine, I'm going to pitch my tent in Longmeadow, and row up the whole crew to lunch and croquet—have a fire, make messes, gypsy fashion, and all sorts of larks.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

DNA transposable elements include bacterial IS (insertion sequence) elements, Tn elements, the maize controlling elements Ac and Ds, Drosophila P, gypsy, and pogo elements, the human Tigger elements and the Tc and mariner elements which are found throughout the animal kingdom.

(DNA Insertion Elements, NLM, Medical Subject Headings)

The moor is being scoured for these gypsies.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

The leader turned to them and gave a word at which every man of the gypsy party drew what weapon he carried, knife or pistol, and held himself in readiness to attack.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

Like most young scribblers, she went abroad for her characters and scenery, and banditti, counts, gypsies, nuns, and duchesses appeared upon her stage, and played their parts with as much accuracy and spirit as could be expected.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

And why should gypsies kidnap him?

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Neither the levelled weapons nor the flashing knives of the gypsies in front, nor the howling of the wolves behind, appeared to even attract their attention.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)