Definition of shimmy
shimmies
1 [by alteration] : chemise
2 [short for shimmy-shake] : a jazz dance characterized by a shaking of the body from the shoulders down
3 : an abnormal vibration especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle
People Are Reading
Recent Examples of shimmy from the Web
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Any slight shimmy may have the whole thing toppling down at any moment!
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Despite the heat, Sloan dons a Spider-Man costume and shimmies and shakes his head to music, garnering honks and waves from drivers.
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Journey in the Edge of Space The Edge does offer voluminous interior space, as its long, wide, bubble-esque shape allows for a large greenhouse with room to twist, shake, shimmy, or Milly rock.
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All the Bryan show staples were back: the hip wiggles, the butt shimmies, the purring, the Miller Lite toasting and tossing, the shots of Patron.
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After busting out a flurry of impressive shimmies, spins and swings for 25 seconds straight, Zola cools down and goes back to enjoying a relaxing wade in his pool.
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As the cover of the Martha and the Vandellas Motown classic suggests, the duo dances in the street, but there are also slow-motion jumps, shimmy-shakes and an interpretative version of the '60s swim.
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There was no shimmy on his way to the sidelines after the Boston timeout.
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At an obstacle course, plebes flip and shimmy over logs and poles.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shimmy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of shimmy
1837
shimmy
Definition of shimmy
shimmied
;shimmying
intransitive verb
1 : to shake, quiver, or tremble in or as if in dancing a shimmy
2 : to vibrate abnormally —used especially of automobiles
3 : shinny
Examples of shimmy in a Sentence
They were shimmying on the dance floor.
I shimmied into my jacket.
One of the car's wheels was shimmying.
Recent Examples of shimmy from the Web
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In the quiet, shaded backyard of Johnson’s elegant home in South Park, Prince pauses between practicing his jumper on a kid-sized hoop to shimmy the tooth around with his thumb.
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Also shining are Deloris' harmonizing backup singers — Jasmine Jones as Michelle and Emily Sergo as Tina, shimmying and shaking with her own funky charm.
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One of his special magnetic gloves has malfunctioned, and so Ethan must somehow shimmy his way up to gain access to a security system.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'shimmy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of shimmy
1919
SHIMMY Defined for English Language Learners
shimmy
Definition of shimmy for English Language Learners
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: to move or shake your body from side to side
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: to vibrate or move very quickly from side to side
SHIMMY Defined for Kids
shimmy
playDefinition of shimmy for Students
shimmied
;shimmying
: to move the body from side to side I shimmied into my jacket.
Learn More about shimmy
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See words that rhyme with shimmy Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shimmy
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