carny
carny Lexical Profile
carny Game Scores & Validity
• noun
North American A person who works in a traveling carnival, amusement park, or sideshow, operating rides, games, or concession stands.
"The seasoned carny called out to passersby, encouraging them to try their luck at the ring-toss booth."
North American A traveling carnival or fair.
"Every August, the local kids eagerly waited for the carny to set up its tents on the edge of town."
North American The specialized cant, jargon, or slang historically spoken by traveling carnival workers among themselves.
"The booth operators spoke in rapid carny so the customers would not understand their conversation."
• adjective
North American Relating to or characteristic of a traveling carnival or its workers.
"The veteran showman wrote a memoir detailing the unique traditions of carny life."
Word Nuance & Usage
Also commonly spelled "carnie." While used neutrally by carnival workers as an occupational self-designation, it can carry a pejorative or dismissive connotation when used by outsiders.
• Rhymes for carny
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Originated in the 1930s in American English as a colloquial shortening of "carnival" combined with the diminutive suffix "-y".