Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web
Related Searches
Nearby Words

calypsonian

 - 3 dictionary results
Shop Calypso St. Barth
French Island Resort-Wear Heritage Rooted in Beach Lifestyle
www.Calypso-Celle.com

Ca⋅lyp⋅so

  [kuh-lip-soh] noun, plural -sos, verb
Use calypsonian in a Sentence
–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

Related forms:
ca⋅lyp⋅so⋅ni⋅an  [kuh-lip-soh-nee-uhn, kal-ip-] , noun, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To calypsonian
Shop Calypso St. Barth
French Island Resort-Wear Heritage Rooted in Beach Lifestyle
www.Calypso-Celle.com
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.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

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
Cite This Source
Search another word or see calypsonian on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us:
Partner Sites:
Ask AnswersEviteExpediaHotelsHotwireLife123LiveDailyMy Way