Definition

1. Noun:

   • A lively dance: A dance, typically performed to ragtime music, characterized by vigorous shaking of the shoulders and hips.
   • A sleeveless undergarment: A woman's loose, sleeveless undergarment, similar to a chemise.
   • An abnormal vibration: A shaking or wobbling motion, especially in the front wheels of a motor vehicle.

2. Verb:

   • To dance the shimmy: To perform the lively dance called the shimmy.
   • To shake or vibrate: To move with a rapid shaking or wobbling motion.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • The dancers performed a lively shimmy on stage.
  • She wore a silk shimmy under her dress.
  • The mechanic fixed the shimmy in the car's front wheels.

• Verb:

  • She can shimmy better than anyone at the party.
  • The old washing machine began to shimmy violently during the spin cycle.

Advanced Usage

• "to have/get the shimmies": (informal) to experience nervous tremors or shakes.
  • After the scare, he had a bad case of the shimmies.

Variants and Related Words

• Shimmying (gerund/participle): The act of performing the dance or shaking.
  • The shimmying of the car was a sign of a serious problem.

Synonyms

• Noun (dance): shake, jiggle.
• Noun (vibration): wobble, shake, vibration.
• Verb (dance): jiggle, shake.
• Verb (shake): vibrate, wobble, judder.

Related Phrasal Verbs/Verb Phrases

(This word does not commonly form phrasal verbs.)

Related Idioms

(There are no common idioms specifically using the word "shimmy".)

Noun

1. lively dancing (usually to ragtime music) with much shaking of the shoulders and hips
2. a woman's sleeveless undergarment
3. an abnormal wobble in a motor vehicle (especially in the front wheels)
   • he could feel the shimmy in the steering wheel

Verb

1. dance a shimmy
2. tremble or shake
   • His voice wobbled with restrained emotion