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n. Greek Mythology A sea nymph who delayed Odysseus on her island, Ogygia, for seven years. [Latin Calypsō, from Greek Kalupsō, from kaluptein, to conceal; see kel-1 in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.] |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
Ca·lyp·so 2 or ca·lyp·so  (kə-lĭpsō)
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Tweet 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. [Probably alteration (influenced by CALYPSO1, in reference to the nymph's island home) of Caribbean English kaliso, variant of kariso, variant of kaiso, bravo (shout of approval for a Calypsonian's performance), Calypso music, from ka iso!, shout of encouragement with which West Indian slaves accompanied singers singing satirical songs about plantation owners and overseers, from Efik ka isu, go on (imperative form) (from ka, go, advance + isu, face, front, forward), and its Ibibio equivalent kaa iso.] Ca·lyp·soni·an (kə-lĭp-sōnē-ən, kăl′ĭp-) n. |
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition copyright ©2022 by HarperCollins Publishers. All rights reserved.
