shimmy
UK[ˈʃɪmi]US[ˈʃɪmi]
n
a kind of dance that involves shaking the body, especially the shoulders
v
to shake or vibrate, especially in a way that is not controlled
v
to climb something by using the hands and legs to grip and move up
Etymology
the word 'shimmy' is an early 20th-century alteration of the word 'chemise', a french term for a woman's undergarment or shift. the connection stems from a popular, lively dance of the 1910s named the 'shimmy-shake', which involved a shaking motion reminiscent of wearing a loose chemise. this dance name was subsequently shortened to 'shimmy', and the verb form, meaning to shake or vibrate, naturally extended from the dance's characteristic movement. the later climbing sense, meaning to ascend by gripping with limbs, likely evolved from the verb's core idea of a shaking or wriggling motion applied to progress up a pole or rope.
Analysis
this word is considered unsegmentable into meaningful morphemes based on its modern english spelling and origin. it is an altered form of an earlier word.
Examples
she added a playful shimmy to her dance routine.
the old car began to shimmy dangerously at high speeds.
he managed to shimmy up the drainpipe to reach the open window.