amateur
Use Amateur in a sentence
əˌtʃʊər, -tʃər, -tər, ˌæm noun
1.
a person who engages in a study, sport, or other activity for pleasure rather than for financial benefit or professional reasons. Compare professional.
2.
an athlete who has never competed for payment or for a monetary prize.
3.
a person inexperienced or unskilled in a particular activity: Hunting lions is not for amateurs.
4.
a person who admires something; devotee; fan: an amateur of the cinema.
adjective
5.
characteristic of or engaged in by an amateur; nonprofessional: an amateur painter; amateur tennis.
00:10
Amateur
is always a great word to know.
So is ninnyhammer. Does it mean:
| a fool or simpleton; ninny. |
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To amateur
Collins
World English Dictionary
amateur (ˈæmətə, -tʃə, -ˌtjʊə, ˌæməˈtɜː) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| 1. | a person who engages in an activity, esp a sport, as a pastime rather than professionally or for gain |
| 2. | an athlete or sportsman |
| 3. | a person unskilled in or having only a superficial knowledge of a subject or activity |
| 4. | a person who is fond of or admires something |
| 5. | (modifier) consisting of or for amateurs: an amateur event |
| —adj | |
| 6. | amateurish; not professional or expert: an amateur approach |
| [C18: from French, from Latin amātor lover, from amāre to love] | |
| 'amateurism | |
| —n | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History
amateur
1784, "one who has a taste for (something)," from Fr. amateur "lover of," from O.Fr., from L. amatorem (nom. amator) "lover," from amatus, pp. of amare "to love" (see Amy). Meaning "dabbler" (as opposed to professional) is from 1786.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
It is a popular target with for amateur astronomers' telescopes, although too dim to reveal its magnificent colours.
There is still something of the ill-disciplined amateur show, despite the new controls.
Amateur polymaths can allow themselves such sweeping observations.
In some cases, citizen-scientists such as bird-watchers or amateur astronomers collectively can make significant contributions.
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