Nearby Words
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
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].
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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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source
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Link To athletes
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Athletes
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
| a printed punctuation mark (‽), available only in some typefaces, designed to combine the question mark (?) and the exclamation point (!), indicating a mixture of query and interjection, as after a rhetorical question. |
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
EXPANDthat has been around much longer.
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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