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shimmy
[ shim-ee ]
noun
- 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.
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Word History and Origins
Origin of shimmy1
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Word History and Origins
Origin of shimmy1
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Example Sentences
Operations were slowed so a team of eight technicians could shimmy up the ship to tighten up the cables.
The leader of the band danced a sort of shimmy as he marched, at the same time tootling on a flute.
Don't put anything but its little shimmy on; it's goin' to be another hot day.
Rather than call it shimmy, resume the use of the old English words shift and smock.
He had even been known to dive under the water and shimmy up a tree that was reflected there.
She sees herself in the mirror of the dressing-table and commences to shimmy enthusiastically.
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Related Words
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More About Shimmy
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.
Where does shimmy come from?
The first records of shimmy come from around 1830. It comes from a respelling of chemise, a woman’s undergarment that resembles a loose shirt. In the 1910s, it started to be used to refer to a dance move that was becoming popular.
The shimmy dance emerged at the height of the ragtime era of American music and dance. Back then, excessive shoulder and hip shaking was considered obscene and scandalous and so the shimmy dance was often banned in dance halls. Today, the shimmy is just one of many dance moves that some consider provocative.
Did you know … ?
What are some other forms related to shimmy?
- shimmies (plural noun, simple present tense verb)
What are some synonyms for shimmy?
What are some words that share a root or word element with shimmy?
What are some words that often get used in discussing shimmy?
How is shimmy used in real life?
Shimmy is most often used to refer to the dance or to wobbly movement.
I’ve reached the age where, when I’m looking for something and find it, I do finger guns at it and shimmy before picking it up.
— Barbara Dunkelman (@bdunkelman) August 7, 2020
Aggressive full body shimmy before getting out of the shower to get as much water off your body as possible…. or just me?
— 𝐙𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐘 (@Zomboy) April 6, 2019
Messi just scored a great goal and shimmied to the crowd in his celebration. Man is living his best life in his thirties.
— Zito (@_Zeets) March 18, 2018
Try using shimmy!
Which of the following words is a synonym of shimmy?
A. walk
B. wobble
C. run
D. swim
More About Shimmy
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.
Where does shimmy come from?
The first records of shimmy come from around 1830. It comes from a respelling of chemise, a woman’s undergarment that resembles a loose shirt. In the 1910s, it started to be used to refer to a dance move that was becoming popular.
The shimmy dance emerged at the height of the ragtime era of American music and dance. Back then, excessive shoulder and hip shaking was considered obscene and scandalous and so the shimmy dance was often banned in dance halls. Today, the shimmy is just one of many dance moves that some consider provocative.
Did you know ... ?
What are some other forms related to shimmy?
- shimmies (plural noun, simple present tense verb)
What are some synonyms for shimmy?
What are some words that share a root or word element with shimmy?
What are some words that often get used in discussing shimmy?
How is shimmy used in real life?
Shimmy is most often used to refer to the dance or to wobbly movement.
I’ve reached the age where, when I’m looking for something and find it, I do finger guns at it and shimmy before picking it up.
— Barbara Dunkelman (@bdunkelman) August 7, 2020
Aggressive full body shimmy before getting out of the shower to get as much water off your body as possible…. or just me?
— 𝐙𝐎𝐌𝐁𝐎𝐘 (@Zomboy) April 6, 2019
Messi just scored a great goal and shimmied to the crowd in his celebration. Man is living his best life in his thirties.
— Zito (@_Zeets) March 18, 2018
Try using shimmy!
Which of the following words is a synonym of shimmy?
A. walk
B. wobble
C. run
D. swim
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