shimmy
pronunciation
How to pronounce shimmy in British English:
UK [ˈʃɪmi]
How to pronounce shimmy in American English:
US [ˈʃɪmi]
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- Noun:
- an abnormal wobble in a motor vehicle (especially in the fromt wheels)
- a woman's sleeveless undergarment
- lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with much shaking of the shoulders and hips
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- Verb:
- tremble or shake
- dance a shimmy
Word Origin
- shimmy (v.)
- "do a suggestive dance," 1918, perhaps via phrase shake the shimmy, which is possibly from shimmy (n.), a U.S. dialectal form of chemise (mistaken as a plural; compare shammy) first recorded 1837. Or perhaps the verb is related to shimmer (v.) via a notion of glistening light. Transferred sense of "vibration of a motor vehicle" is from 1925. Related: Shimmied; shimmying. As a noun, the name of a popular, fast, suggestive pre-flapper dance, by 1919.
Example
- 1. He watched her do the shimmy .
- 2. Not quite the asian shimmy , but it 's got charm .
- 3. You won 't find anyone here to do an asian shimmy .
- 4. Front wheel shimmy analysis of huanghai dd680 bus .
- 5. The first time he feels a little shimmy .