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calypso - 7 dictionary results
Ca⋅lyp⋅so
[kuh-lip-soh] 
noun, plural -sos, verb –noun
| 1. | Also, Kalypso. Classical Mythology. a sea nymph who detained Odysseus on the island of Ogygia for seven years. |
| 2. | (lowercase ) Also called fairy-slipper. a terrestrial orchid, Calypso bulbosa, of the Northern Hemisphere, having a single variegated purple, yellow, and white flower. |
| 3. | (lowercase) a musical style of West Indian origin, influenced by jazz, usually having topical, often improvised, lyrics. |
–verb (used without object)
| 4. | (lowercase) to sing or dance to calypso. |
Origin:
the name of the musical style is of obscure orig. and perh. only copies the sp. of Calypso the sea nymph
the name of the musical style is of obscure orig. and perh. only copies the sp. of Calypso the sea nymph
Related forms:
ca⋅lyp⋅so⋅ni⋅an [kuh-lip-soh-nee-uhn, kal-ip-] , noun, adjective
[kuh-lip-soh-nee-uhn, kal-ip-] , noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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|
Link To calypso
| ca·lyp·so (kə-lĭp'sō) n. pl. ca·lyp·sos A terrestrial orchid (Calypso bulbosa) native to northern temperate regions, having a rose-pink flower with an inflated pouchlike lip usually marked with white, purple, and yellow. [Probably Latin Calypsō, Calypso; see Calypso1.] |
| Ca·lyp·so 1 (kə-lĭp'sō) n.
[Latin Calypsō, from Greek Kalupsō, from kaluptein, to conceal; see kel-1 in Indo-European roots.] |
| Ca·lyp·so 2 or ca·lyp·so (kə-lĭp'sō) n. pl. Ca·lyp·sos or ca·lyp·sos also Ca·lyp·soes or ca·lyp·soes A type of music that originated in the West Indies, notably in Trinidad, and is characterized by improvised lyrics on topical or broadly humorous subjects. [Origin unknown.] Ca·lyp·so'ni·an (kə-lĭp-sō'nē-ən, kāl'ĭp-) n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Calypso
Ca*lyp"so\ (k[.a]*l[i^]p"s[-o]), n. [The Latinized Greek name of a beautiful nymph.] (Bot.) A small and beautiful species of orchid, having a flower variegated with purple, pink, and yellow. It grows in cold and wet localities in the northern part of the United States. The Calypso borealis is the only orchid which reaches 68[deg] N.
Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary, © 1996, 1998 MICRA, Inc.
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Language Translation for : calypso
Spanish:
calipso,
German:
der Kalypso,
Japanese:
カリプソ
Calypso
sea nymph in the "Odyssey," lit. "hidden, hider" (originally a death goddess) from Gk. kalyptein "to cover, conceal," from PIE *kel- "to cover, conceal, save," root of Eng. Hell (see cell). The W. Indian type of song is so called from 1934, of unknown origin or connection to the nymph.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Calypso
in Greek mythology, the daughter of the Titan Atlas (or Oceanus or Nereus), a nymph of the mythical island of Ogygia. In Homer's Odyssey, Book V (also Books I and VII), she entertained the Greek hero Odysseus for seven years, but she could not overcome his longing for home even by promising him immortality. At last the god Hermes was sent by Zeus, the king of the gods, to ask her to release Odysseus. According to Hesiod's Theogony, she bore Odysseus twin sons, Nausithous and Nausinous.
Learn more about Calypso with a free trial on Britannica.com.
Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
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