shimmy
Americannoun
plural
shimmies-
an American ragtime dance marked by shaking of the hips and shoulders.
-
excessive wobbling in the front wheels of a motor vehicle.
-
a chemise.
verb (used without object)
-
to dance the shimmy.
-
to shake, wobble, or vibrate.
noun
-
an American ragtime dance with much shaking of the hips and shoulders
-
abnormal wobbling motion in a motor vehicle, esp in the front wheels or steering
-
an informal word for chemise
verb
-
to dance the shimmy
-
to vibrate or wobble
Usage
What does shimmy mean? The shimmy is a dance move that involves repeated shaking of the shoulders and hips, as in The dancer entranced the audience with her hypnotizing shimmy.Shimmy can also mean to perform the specific dance or to shake or wobble in general, as in The puppy shimmied through the tight doggy door.The noun shimmy may be accompanied by a term that says specifically which part of the body a person is shaking, as in I celebrated my big win with a shoulder shimmy.The plural of shimmy is shimmies.Example: The singer shimmied along with the back-up dancers during the guitar solo.
Etymology
Origin of shimmy
First recorded in 1830–40 shimmy for def. 3; 1915–20 shimmy for def. 1; back formation and respelling of chemise, construed as a plural
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
I left the concrete path and shimmied through an opening in the dense bushes that led to deeper green—tall elm, fir, and birch standing together.
From Literature
The badger paddled to the riverbank and waddled out of the water, shimmying her fur.
From Literature
Her face lit up and she shimmied her shoulders.
From Literature
I shimmy into clothes and Celia comes in, still wearing her sweaty tank top and bike shorts.
From Literature
Because this is a low-key charity gig, the staging and lighting are minimal; but the star makes the room shrink, shimmying around in a jade green ballgown with irrepressible energy.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
