athlete
nouncommon in dialogue
- United Kingdom//ˈæθ.liːt//
- Canada//ˈæθ.lit//
- //ˈæθ.ə.liːt//
A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
noun
- 1
A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
- 2
A person who actively participates in physical sports, especially with great skill; a sportsperson.
She's the first athlete in her sport to obtain a corporate sponsor.
Athletes' use of herbal supplements has skyrocketed in the past two decades. At the top of the list of popular herbs are echinacea and ginseng, whereas garlic, St. John's wort, soybean, ephedra and others are also surging in popularity or have been historically prevalent.
- 3
An exceptionally physically fit person.
Etymology
From Middle English athlete, from Latin āthlēta (and probably also partly from Middle French athlete), from Ancient Greek ἀθλητής (athlētḗs), from ἀθλέω (athléō, “compete for a prize”), from ἆθλον (âthlon, “prize”) or ἆθλος (âthlos, “competition”).
Forms
- plural
- athletes
athlete · A participant in any of a group of sporting activities including track and field, road running, cross country running and racewalking.
athletic · Having to do with athletes.Athletic · A player on the team Oakland Athletics.Atkins · A surname transferred from the given name meaning "son of…