campy

Camp  (kmp), Walter Chauncey 1859-1925.

American football coach and promoter who developed many of the sport's basic rules.

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camp ¹  (kmp)

n.

1.

a. A place where tents, huts, or other temporary shelters are set up, as by soldiers, nomads, or travelers.

b. A cabin or shelter or group of such buildings: gathered branches and grasses for a makeshift camp; had a fishing camp in Vermont.

c. The people using such shelters: a howl that awakened the whole camp.

2.

a. A place in the country that offers simple group accommodations and organized recreation or instruction, as for vacationing children: a girls' summer camp; a tennis camp.

b. Sports A place where athletes engage in intensive training, especially preseason training.

c. The people attending the programs at such a place.

3. Military service; army life.

4. A group of people who think alike or share a cause; side: The council members disagreed, falling into liberal and conservative camps.

v. camped, camp·ing, camps

v.intr.

1. To make or set up a camp.

2. To live in or as if in a camp; settle: We camped in the apartment until the furniture arrived.

v.tr.

To shelter or lodge in a camp; encamp: They camped themselves by a river.

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[Obsolete French, perhaps from Italian or Spanish campo, all from Latin campus, field.]

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camp ²  (kmp)

n.

1. An affectation or appreciation of manners and tastes commonly thought to be artificial, vulgar, or banal.

2. Banality, vulgarity, or artificiality when deliberately affected or when appreciated for its humor: "Camp is popularity plus vulgarity plus innocence" (Indra Jahalani).

adj.

Having deliberately artificial, vulgar, banal, or affectedly humorous qualities or style: played up the silliness of their roles for camp effect.

v. camped, camp·ing, camps

v.intr.

To act in a deliberately artificial, vulgar, or banal way.

v.tr.

To give a deliberately artificial, vulgar, or banal quality to: camped up their cowboy costumes with chaps, tin stars, and ten-gallon hats.

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[Origin unknown.]

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campy adj.

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campy [ˈkæmpɪ]

adj campier, campiest Informal

1. effeminate; affected in mannerisms, dress, etc.

2. relating to or considered characteristic of homosexuals

3. (Performing Arts / Theatre) consciously artificial, exaggerated, vulgar, or mannered; self-parodying, esp when in dubious taste

Thesaurus

Adj.

1.

campy - providing sophisticated amusement by virtue of having artificially (and vulgarly) mannered or banal or sentimental qualities; "they played up the silliness of their roles for camp effect"; "campy Hollywood musicals of the 1940's" camp tasteless - lacking aesthetic or social taste