I. ˈshimē, -mi noun
( -s )
Etymology: alteration of chemise
1. : chemise
2.
[short for shimmy-shake & shimmy shiver ]
: a jazz dance popular after World War I and similar in form and function to the cooch but probably of Negro origin and characterized by a shaking of the body from the shoulders down
3. : an abnormal oscillation especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle reinforced by resonance at critical speeds
II. intransitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
1. : to shake, quiver, or tremble in or as if in dancing a shimmy
2. : to oscillate abnormally — used especially of automobiles
III. noun
( -es )
Etymology: by folk etymology
slang : chemin de fer