Funambulation

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The performance of skillful movements on a tightrope involves acrobatics, requiring balance and precision over a suspended or elevated line
2. Acrobatic walking along a tightrope embodies artistry and requires mastery of balance and coordination in a vertical setting
3. The act of walking on a narrow rope or wire, demonstrating balance and control high above the ground

Etymology: Funambulation is the act of walking a tightrope, and the word is built from two Latin pieces: "funis," meaning rope or cord, and "ambulare," meaning to walk, the same root that gives English "amble" and "perambulate." Put together, it literally means "rope-walking," a compound that is transparent to anyone who knows those parts. It is a learned coinage rather than an ancient or everyday word. English writers formed it from Latin building blocks in the early modern period, and it has stayed a rare, somewhat showy term, mostly found in dictionaries and in writing that enjoys its Latinate flavour. The related noun "funambulist," for the performer himself, follows the same pattern and is equally a later formation from classical roots.

Synonyms: tightrope walking