What makes somebody a gypsy

Log in Sign Up. Gypsy noun. Save Word. Definition of Gypsy Entry 1 of 2. Definition of gypsy Entry 2 of 2. Synonyms for Gypsy Synonyms: Noun drifter , gadabout , knockabout , maunderer , nomad , rambler , roamer , rover , stroller , vagabond , wanderer , wayfarer Visit the Thesaurus for More. Usage of Gypsy Noun Though still frequently encountered in English, use of the term Gypsy to refer to Roma people or their language is increasingly regarded as offensive because of negative stereotypes associated with that term.

First Known Use of Gypsy Noun , in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb , in the meaning defined above. The definition of a gypsy is a member of a tribe of people found throughout the world who has no permanent home or someone who shares this wandering lifestyle.

An example of gypsy is those who travel with a carnival. A member of a nomadic Caucasoid people with dark skin and black hair, found throughout the world and believed to have originated in India: they are conventionally known as metalworkers, musicians, fortunetellers, etc. A dancer in the chorus of a musical show. Of, like, or characteristic of the Gypsies or their language or culture. The overarching term "Gypsy" refers to the Romani people, a culturally migrant group who can trace their roots from India all the way to modern Europe and America.

TLC's Gypsy primer confirms and also touches on the persecution that historically plagued Gypsy people, including time in concentration camps and the killing of over 1 million during WWII. In , The Daily Beast reported on the persecution of Gypsies here in the United States , who are also little known or recognized when's the last time you saw a checkbox for "Romanichal" for ethnicity on a form or census? One-sided media portrayals don't help, and the article calls out Gypsies in media for hurting the image of modern folks, who'd like to distance themselves from tales of fortune-telling, swindling, and Esmeralda from The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

While it is not OK to assume every Romani person is some sort of traveling street performer, music is a huge part not only of traditional Romani peoples, but of the histories of everyone they've interacted with. The documentary film Latcho Drom follows the migration pattern of Gypsy music starting in India and ending in Spain. They won't let our kids mix with theirs because they say we stink and don't talk properly. Settled kids won't even play sports with ours in case they touch them.

Mary, Kathleen's year-old daughter, is upset by the series too, and says that she has faced further prejudice since it hit the screens. All my friends are asking if it's true what they show on telly, and I think they've gone different [towards me] since it was shown. In one episode the viewer was informed that young Traveller men at weddings and other social occasions use something known as "grabbing" to force a reluctant girl to kiss them. One newspaper report called it a "secret courting ritual".

It's just one nasty boy they showed. Brigid adds: "Grabbing has never happened to my kids. I have honestly never heard of it. It's all make-believe. We don't want that for our daughters. Helen is also worried that Traveller women are being portrayed as rich and spoilt when, in fact, life is a struggle for the majority.

Mine was secondhand. They'll now be saying we are all criminals, or sponging off the state. I ask O'Roarke what she thinks the future holds for Travellers. She is worried.