A person who cheats or swindles others, or historically, a derogatory term applied to Romani people based on harmful stereotypes.
From 'gyp' (to cheat/swindle) + '-er' (agent suffix), derived ultimately from the derogatory 'Gypsy' stereotype. Popular in 19th and early 20th-century slang, now considered offensive.
The etymology of this word shows how stereotypes become language—people heard negative stories about traveling Romani communities and then used a slur based on that to describe cheating in general, spreading prejudice through everyday speech.
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