mimsy en · ADJ · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- /ˈmɪmzi/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
Blend of miserable + flimsy.
Meanings
-
(nonce-word) A nonce word in Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky
Down he sank in a chair—ran his hands through his hair— / And chanted in mimsiest tones
1874–1876 (date written), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], “Fit the Fit the Seventh. The Banker’s Fate.”, in The Hunting of the Snark […], London: Macmillan and Co., published March 1876, →OCLC:’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves / Did gyre and gimble in the wade^([sic – meaning wabe]); / All mimsy were the borogoves, / And the mome raths outgrabe.
1871, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, “I. Looking-Glass House”, in Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| mimsier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| mimsiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| mimzy | alternative | lexicographic |
Translations (2)
fr enmîmé (flimsy and miserable) · es misendeble (flimsy and miserable)