gyp
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
An undergraduate’s servant at Cambridge. Popularly derived by Cantabs from the Greek, GYPS, (γύψ), a vulture, from the dishonest rapacity peculiar to GYPS. At Oxford servants are called scouts.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Where it’s used:
Origin
British & Irish English
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “gyp” mean?
An undergraduate’s servant at Cambridge. Popularly derived by Cantabs from the Greek, GYPS, (γύψ), a vulture, from the dishonest rapacity peculiar to GYPS. At Oxford servants are called scouts.
Is “gyp” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.