Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- v. To deprive (another) of something by fraud; cheat or swindle.
- n. A fraud or swindle.
- n. One who defrauds; a swindler.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A male servant who attends to college rooms. Also gip.
- n. A swindler, especially a swindling horse-dealer; a cheat.
- To swindle; cheat.
Wiktionary
- n. A cheat or swindle; a rip-off.
- n. A college servant.
- n. gypsophila.
- n. Pain or discomfort.
- v. To cheat or swindle someone of something inappropriately.
- v. to play hooky, truant or skive
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A college servant; -- so called in Cambridge, England; at Oxford called a
scout .
WordNet 3.0
- v. deprive of by deceit
- n. a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
Etymologies
- Probably short for Gypsy.
Examples
“I'm all for being careful with words and respecting the sensibilities of others, but there is no evidence of the term gyp actually coming from the word gypsy it's possible, but so are multiple other origins.”
“Nor do I believe that most of you hold anyprejudicial inclinations toward gypsies even if you occasionally use the word "gyp" or "gypped" in everyday conversation.”
“Nor do I believe that most of you hold anyÂprejudicial inclinations toward gypsies even if you occasionally use the word "gyp" or "gypped" in everyday conversation.”
“Fellow you call the gyp wanted to make me believe you were out -- thought I looked too like a governor to be let in, I suppose; but it wouldn't do, sir; old birds are not to be caught with chaff; and he spoke with an air of such intense honesty that”
“I've been having an exchange elsewhere about the word gyp 'cheat, swindle,' and I am (with some trepidation) bringing it here in the hopes of having a productive discussion and perhaps learning a few things.”
“But he also provides an insight into the equally disturbing class divisions in the university at the time: Mulgrave, a "gyp" or servant to the college's rich students, is a slyly brilliant character who very sensibly refuses to take any nonsense from his betters.”
“Now "gyp" and sand do hide their one-time yearnin ';”
“Most entertaining to any one at all familiar with the life of the Oxford and Cambridge colleges is his account of the thievery of his "gyp" (the manservant who makes the bed, cares for the rooms, and attends to the wants of the students).”
“In the "May Exam.," a really good imitation of the "May Queen," the departing undergraduate thus addresses his "gyp": --”
“One afternoon well towards the end of the term Arthur Agar's "gyp" crept in with that valet-like confidential air which seems to be bred of too intimate a knowledge of the extent of one's wardrobe.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘gyp’.
john Huh--gyp or jip was an elementary school staple for me back in the 70s in Ohio and upstate New York. Not until this moment did I ever consider its derivation. Or how it might be spelled. Jan 21, 2008
seanahan I've been told not to use gyp, because it is racially offensive to the Gypsy people, better known as Romani. Jan 21, 2008
uselessness The "swindle" sense is the only one I've known for this word. If you get ripped off (perhaps another Americanism[?] meaning to be scammed) you might say "aww, what a gyp!" Actually I'm not sure that I've seen the word in print, and I assumed it was spelled jip or something like that. Jan 17, 2008
yarb Probably. I wasn't aware of the "swindle" sense until now. Yet another transatlantic nuance. Jan 17, 2008
uselessness Derivative of gypsy? Jan 17, 2008
yarb Annoyance.
E.g. "I wanted to go for a run but my ankle was giving me gyp, so I stayed in and ate a big bag of cheez-its instead."
Or, "darling, pass me the elephant gun. I'm thoroughly sick of those urchins across the street giving us gyp." Jan 17, 2008