Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
A cheat or swindle; a rip-off.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, offensive, sometimes
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Synonym of gypsy (“contra dance step”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: gypsy
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A domestic servant, generally male, who would attend upon (usually several) students, brushing their clothes, carrying parcels, waiting at parties and other tasks; generally equivalent to a scout in the historical sense at Oxford University or a skip at Trinity College, Dublin.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: historical
Qualifier: Cambridge University; Durham University; Cambridge University; Durham University
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
The room in which such college servants work.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Cambridge University; Durham University; Cambridge University; Durham University
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A small kitchen for use by college students.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: Cambridge University; Durham University; Cambridge University; Durham University
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Gypsophila.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Pain or discomfort.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To cheat or swindle.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: derogatory, offensive, sometimes
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a swindle in which you cheat at gambling or persuade a person to buy worthless property
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: bunco, bunco game, bunko, bunko game, con, confidence trick, confidence game, con game, hustle, sting, flimflam
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: swindle, cheat, rig
Narrower terms: sting operation
verb
deprive of by deceit
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: victimize, swindle, rook, goldbrick, nobble, diddle, bunco, defraud, scam, mulct, gip, hornswoggle, short-change, con
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cheat, rip off, chisel
Narrower terms: short-change, short
History
Perhaps from the term gypsy (“Roma”), due to a stereotype of the Roma as swindlers. Compare jew (“defraud”), from Jew, and welsh (“swindle by defaulting on a debt”), from Welsh. Could also be derived from dupe, with the same pattern (yod coalescence) as idiot becomes eejit in Scottish English.
Perhaps the same as Etymology 1. An earlier theory derived the term from Ancient Greek γύψ (gúps, “vulture”) (/ɡýps/; compare Greek γύπας (gýpas) /ˈʝi.pas/), "in reference to thievish habits of the servants" (and then derived Etymology 1 thence), but this does not explain the pronunciation.
Shortening.
Perhaps from gee up.
Across languages
4 source translations are retained for this English entry.
