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gypsy

Noun
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

A person traditionally associated with Romani groups; in older literary use, often a wandering or free-spirited person.

Detailed Definition
In older poetry, gypsy can refer to Romani people, though it was often used loosely and sometimes stereotypically to suggest wandering, restlessness, or freedom. Here it appears in a figurative phrase about being stirred to roam by October.
Example
Example in poetry:
“There is something in October sets the gypsy blood astir” uses an older, now often objectionable label for Romani people; “Romani” is generally the preferred term when referring to the ethnic group; “A poem may retain the historical wording only when discussing its source, period, or stereotypes critically”; “The October line uses ‘gypsy’ metaphorically for restless wandering, but students should note the word’s cultural history and avoid casual imitation”
Additional Notes
The word in the line is not everyday neutral vocabulary for many readers and may need identification because it carries a specific historical and cultural meaning.; Found in the poem, A Vagabond Song by Bliss Carman
Other Meanings of “gypsy”
Also Known As
wanderer nomad traveler wayfarer
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