Acrobat

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈæk.ɹə.bæt/

Definitions

1. A skilled individual who engages in gymnastic feats, captivating audiences with their agility and balance while often performing in circuses or stage shows
2. A performer trained in gymnastic skills, known for executing impressive physical contortions and aerial maneuvers for entertainment
3. A person who performs complex physical feats involving balance and agility, often seen in circuses or entertainment shows

Etymology: The Greek root is more vivid than the modern word suggests. "Akrobates" meant "walking on tiptoe" or "climbing aloft," built from "akron," the highest or farthest point, such as a mountain peak, and "bainein," to walk or step. An "akrobates" was someone who went up on the heights, and the Greek word was a compound in which the tiptoe sense came from the idea of stepping along the very top. The word passed into French as "acrobate," and English borrowed it from French. Its sense of a performer who tumbles, balances and flies through the air on a stage or in a circus is the modern meaning, and it is a long way from a walker on a mountain summit. The distance between the two senses is the most striking feature of the word's history.

Synonyms: gymnast, performer, contortionist, trapeze artist, stuntman