Trainer

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /ˈtɹeɪnə/

Definitions

1. An individual who instructs or coaches others in skills or sports ; a casual shoe designed for sports or physical activities
2. Someone who provides training or guidance to improve abilities or performance ; a lightweight shoe made for exercise or everyday wear
3. A person engaged in teaching or developing skills, especially in sports or fitness ; footwear intended for athletic use and comfort

Etymology: The word "trainer" is about as transparent as English gets: "train" plus the agent suffix "-er", meaning one who trains. The surprise lies in the verb it is built on. "Train" came into English from Old French "trainer", which descended from Vulgar Latin "tragīnāre", a derivative of Latin "trahere", "to draw or drag". The original image is of hauling something along behind you, and the sense of shaping a person through repeated practice grew out of that idea of drawing someone along a course. The suffix has its own long pedigree. The "-er" ending traces back through Old English "-ere" and Latin "-arius" to a Proto-Indo-European pattern for forming nouns of agency, so a trainer is, etymologically, a drawer-along of pupils. The noun itself is simply a formation from the verb in English, not an inherited Latin word.

Synonyms: instructor, coach, teacher, mentor, educator

Antonyms: student, trainee, learner