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athlete

[ath-leet]

noun

a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.

Origin:
1520–30; < Latin āthlēta < Greek āthlētḗs, equivalent to āthlē- (variant stem of āthleîn to contend for a prize, derivative of âthlos a contest) + -tēs suffix of agency

Related forms

non·ath·lete, noun

su·per·ath·lete, noun

Pronunciation note
Athlete, athletic, and athletics, normally pronounced

[ath-leet] ,

[ath-let-ik], and

[ath-let-iks], are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables:

[ath-uh-leet],

[ath-uh-let-ik], and

[ath-uh-let-iks]. The pronunciations containing the extra syllable are usually considered nonstandard, in spite of their widespread use on radio and television. Pronunciations with similarly intrusive vowels are also heard, though with less currency, for other words, as

[fil-uhm] for film,

[el-uhm] for elm, and

[ahr-thuh-rahy-tis] for arthritis, rather than the standard

[film],

[elm], and

[ahr-thrahy-tis].

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Link To athlete

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Athlete is always a great word to know.

So is ort. Does it mean:

a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.

a fool or simpleton; ninny.

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Example Sentences

These methods are not only an inefficient way for an athlete to cool down, but they can actually be quite dangerous.

At some universities, endowment per athlete exceeds over-all endowment per student.

But in the past decade, the labour market has resembled an ageing athlete.

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These methods are not only an inefficient way for an athlete to cool down, but they can actually be quite dangerous.

At some universities, endowment per athlete exceeds over-all endowment per student.

But in the past decade, the labour market has resembled an ageing athlete.

High-tech machines showed how the air moved around the athlete.

Certainly one can excel as a vegan/vegetarian athlete.

Genetic makeup isn't the only thing that produces an elite athlete.

The suspension would be in effect for as long as the injured athlete is unable to play as a consequence of that injury.

All you need is an athlete chewing candy operating a treadmill powered generator.

For the athlete who wants an all-in-one device, this wrist-top racer is it.

Medals connected to a popular athlete or a piece of sporting history can sell for tens of thousands of pounds.

It's meant to identify changes in the athlete that would be the result of doping.

And maybe, along the way, another athlete will drop by to see themselves instantly turned into an avatar.

However, beating poverty by becoming a super athlete is not.

Millions of people enjoy surfing, but it takes a special kind of athlete to tackle the biggest swells.

Those results, in turn, can be used down the road for comparison if an athlete ever suffers a concussion.

The result is a rare comprehensive study of an athlete over.

If the coach is really jonesing for an athlete, let the athlete negotiate for however many years they want.

What trendy workout courses can offer to the adventure athlete.

Schools should be able to recruit any athlete they choose.

As a personal trainer, and a natural athlete he has a strong sense of balance.

The athlete would then has five years in school to complete four years of eligibility.

The air's reaction, namely pushing upward, helps the athlete achieve lift.

Andriacchi, a tennis player, has an athlete in mind.

No more than a professional athlete or dancer or musician works out or practices for fun.

Our ultra light sports pack for the quick footed athlete.

Any athlete who has a concussion and goes back to play too soon, that's when the risk levels are high".

Every scholarship athlete should receive a voucher, redeemable at any time, for five years of free education and living expenses.

Linear traction refers to the amount of push-off an athlete can generate from a cleat.

Each sample was identified with a code number meant to keep the athlete anonymous.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

athlete (ˈæθliːt)

—n
1.	a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
2.	a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
3.	chiefly (Brit) a competitor in track and field events

[C18: from Latin via Greek athlētēs, from athlein to compete for a prize, from athlos a contest]

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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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

athlete

1520s, from L. athleta, from Gk. athletes "contestant in the games," agent noun from athlein "to contest for a prize," rel. to athlos "a contest" and athlon "a prize," of unknown origin. Before 1750, always in L. form. In this sense, O.E. had plegmann. Athlete's foot first recorded 1928, for an ailment

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that has been around much longer.

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"It is odd that the NCAA would place a school on probation for driving an athlete to class, or providing a loan, but would have no penalty for a school that violates Title IX, a federal law."

-Cardiss L. Collins

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