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Geniuses

 - 4 dictionary results

gen⋅ius

[jeen-yuhs]
–noun, plural gen⋅ius⋅es for 2, 3, 8, gen⋅i⋅i [jee-nee-ahy] for 6, 7, 9.
1. an exceptional natural capacity of intellect, especially as shown in creative and original work in science, art, music, etc.: the genius of Mozart.
2. a person having such capacity.
3. a person having an extraordinarily high intelligence rating on a psychological test, as an IQ above 140.
4. natural ability or capacity; strong inclination: a special genius for leadership.
5. distinctive character or spirit, as of a nation, period, or language.
6. the guardian spirit of a place, institution, etc.
7. either of two mutually opposed spirits, one good and the other evil, supposed to attend a person throughout life.
8. a person who strongly influences for good or ill the character, conduct, or destiny of a person, place, or thing: Rasputin, the evil genius of Russian politics.
9. genie (defs. 1, 3).

Origin:
1350–1400; ME < L: tutelary deity or genius of a person; cf. genus


4. gift, talent, aptitude, faculty.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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gen·ius   (jēn'yəs)   
n.   pl. gen·ius·es
    1. Extraordinary intellectual and creative power.

    2. A person of extraordinary intellect and talent: "One is not born a genius, one becomes a genius" (Simone de Beauvoir).

    3. A person who has an exceptionally high intelligence quotient, typically above 140.

    4. A strong natural talent, aptitude, or inclination: has a genius for choosing the right words.

    5. One who has such a talent or inclination: a genius at diplomacy.

    1. A strong natural talent, aptitude, or inclination: has a genius for choosing the right words.

    2. One who has such a talent or inclination: a genius at diplomacy.

  1. The prevailing spirit or distinctive character, as of a place, a person, or an era: the genius of Elizabethan England.

  2. pl. ge·ni·i (jē'nē-ī') Roman Mythology A tutelary deity or guardian spirit of a person or place.

  3. A person who has great influence over another.

  4. A jinni in Muslim mythology.


[Middle English, guardian spirit, from Latin; see genə- in Indo-European roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

genius 
1390, from L. genius "guardian deity or spirit which watches over each person from birth; spirit, incarnation, wit, talent," from root of gignere "beget, produce" (see kin), from PIE base *gen- "produce." Meaning "person of natural intelligence or talent" first recorded 1649.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: ge·nius
Pronunciation: 'jE-ny&s, -nE-&s
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural ge·nius·es or ge·nii /-nE-"I/
1 : extraordinary intellectual power especially as manifested in creative activity
2 : a person endowed withtranscendent mental superiority; specifically : a person with a very high intelligence quotient
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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