Gyps

Part of speech: verb, noun

Definitions

1. To deceive someone out of money or property by trickery ; a large scavenging vulture of Africa, Asia and Europe belonging to a genus of carrion eaters
2. To cheat a person, usually by underhanded dealing ; a type of big old-world vulture that feeds on carrion and belongs to a particular bird genus
3. Defrauding or swindling another person for gain ; a large carrion-eating bird of the vulture family found across Africa, Asia and southern Europe

Etymology: The verb "gyp" is one of those words whose origin nobody has pinned down, and the leading theory is an ugly one. It probably comes from "gypsy," with the Roma people cast as swindlers in popular stereotype, the same pattern that gave "jew" as a verb meaning to defraud and "welsh" as a verb meaning to default on a debt. Those verbs are tied to ethnic slurs, which is why "gyp" carries a sting that many users do not notice. Other explanations have been proposed, but they are weaker. One once linked the word to the Greek "gyps," meaning vulture, supposedly for the thievish habits of servants, but this cannot account for the pronunciation. Another suggests a shortening, and a third a derivation from "gee up," though neither is well supported. The word "gyps" itself is simply the plural form of the noun "gyp," so the history above applies to it directly.

Synonyms: cheat, swindle, fleece, con, rip off