(also Gipsy ) / ˈdʒɪpsi; NAmE / noun
( pl. -ies ) (sometimes offensive ) a member of a race of people, originally from Asia, who travel around and traditionally live in caravans . Many people prefer to use the name Romany.
—see also Romany
—compare traveller
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WORD ORIGIN
mid 16th cent.: originally gipcyan , short for Egyptian (because Gypsies were popularly supposed to have come from Egypt).