athlete
/ˈaθliːt
/noun
1A person who is proficient in sports and other forms of physical exercise: he had the broad-shouldered build of a natural athlete...
- Big money comes more quickly for athletes in other sports than it does in boxing.
- I have noticed in the last year or two a drop-off in the number of young athletes coming into the sport.
- Although not a natural athlete, he could perform amazing physical feats.
Synonyms
sportswoman, sportsman, sportsperson;
runner, racer, player, games player, gymnast, team member;
competitor, contestant, contender
informal keep-fit buff, keep-fit freak
North American informal jock, jockstrap
1.1British A person who takes part in competitive track and field events (athletics).Any halfway competitive track athlete ought to be able to cover that in 20 seconds, tops....
- Many local athletes competed in the North East's leading open meeting of the season.
- Have a good week at work and best of luck to our athletes in the track and field events today!
Origin
Late Middle English: from Latin athleta, from Greek athlētēs, from athlein 'compete for a prize', from athlon 'prize'.
In Greek athlon meant ‘prize’, and the word athlētēs, from which we get athlete, literally meant ‘someone who competes for a prize’. It originally referred to one of the competitors in the physical exercises—such as running, leaping, boxing, and wrestling—that formed part of the public games in ancient Greece and Rome.
Rhymes
- indigoid
- indigo snake
- indigotin
- Indio
- Indira Gandhi Canal
- indirect
- indirect advertising
- indirect costs
- indirection
- indirect lighting
- indirectly
- indirectness
- indirect object
- indirect question
- indirect rule
- indirect speech
- indirect tax
- indirect taxation
- indiscernibility
- indiscernible
- indiscernibly
- indiscipline
- indiscreet
- indiscreetly
- indiscrete