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Webster 1913 Edition


Shimmy

Shim′my

,
Noun.
A chemise.
[Colloq.]

Definition 2024


shimmy

shimmy

English

Noun

shimmy (plural shimmies)

  1. A dance movement involving thrusting the shoulders back and forth alternately.
  2. An abnormal vibration, especially in the wheels of a vehicle.
  3. A dance that was popular in the 1920s.
  4. (rare) A sleeveless chemise.

Translations

Verb

shimmy (third-person singular simple present shimmies, present participle shimmying, simple past and past participle shimmied)

  1. (dance) To perform a shimmy (dance movement involving thrusting the shoulders back and forth alternately).
  2. To climb something (e.g. a pole) gradually (e.g. using alternately one's arms then one's legs).
    He shimmied up the flagpole.
    The static made her dress shimmy up her leg.
  3. (intransitive) To vibrate abnormally, as a broken wheel.
  4. (intransitive, rare) To shake the body as if dancing the shimmy.
  5. (intransitive, video games) To move across a narrow ledge, either by hanging from it or by strafing on it along the wall.
    • 2009, Allison Schubert, Lunabean.com's Videogame Guides of 2008: Adventure 3-Pack
      Jump up to the ledge on your right and shimmy around the corner.
    • 1999, Prima Development, The Big Playstation Book
      Climb on top of the room and drop down to shimmy along its back ledge.

Synonyms

Translations