Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun Alternative form of Gypsy: a member of the Romani people.
  • noun offensive An itinerant person or any person suspected of making a living from dishonest practices or theft; a member of a nomadic people, not necessarily Romani; a carny.
  • adjective Alternative form of Gypsy: of or belonging to the Romani people or one of it sub-groups (Roma, Sinti, Romanichel, etc).
  • adjective 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 intransitive To roam around the country like a gypsy.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

See Gypsy. Generic usage to refer to any itinerant person or person suspected of dishonest practices derives from traditional racist stereotypes of the Romani people.

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Examples

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  • a town in West Virginia, USA

    February 27, 2008