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savant

 - 4 dictionary results

sa⋅vant

  [sa-vahnt, sav-uhnt; Fr. sa-vahn]
–noun, plural sa⋅vants  [sa-vahnts, sav-uhnts; Fr. sa-vahn] .
a person of profound or extensive learning; learned scholar.
Use savant in a Sentence
Origin:
1710–20; < F: man of learning, scholar, old prp. of savoir to know ≪ L sapere to be wise; see sapient
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
Cite This Source Link To savant
sa·vant   (sā-vänt')   
n.  

  1. A learned person; a scholar.

  2. An idiot savant.


[French, learned, savant, from Old French, present participle of savoir, to know, from Vulgar Latin sapēre, from Latin sapere, to be wise; see sep- 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

savant 
1719, from Fr. savant "a learned man," noun use of adj. savant "learned, knowing," former prp. of savoir "to know," from O.Fr., from V.L. *sapere, from L. sapere "be wise" (see sapient).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: savant
—see IDIOT SAVANT
Merriam-Webster's Medical Dictionary, © 2002 Merriam-Webster, Inc.
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