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.
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
Disneyland’s Main Street certainly should be lined with fans March 26 when — as described on the Disneyland web site — “the Savannah Bananas shimmy, shake and strut their way through an unforgettable cavalcade!”
From Los Angeles Times
Nearby, Julia Buteux’s three-dimensional installation of transparent fabric panels hang from the ceiling, shimmying in the air and inviting guests to walk around it.
From Los Angeles Times
Right about then, Coogie Jackson shimmied up the County Road signpost to shout his good-bye.
From Literature
Kicking off the jagged glass still clinging to the front window, I shimmied inside.
From Literature
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.
