athlete
[ ath-leet ]
/ ˈæθ lit /
noun
a person trained or gifted in exercises or contests involving physical agility, stamina, or strength; a participant in a sport, exercise, or game requiring physical skill.
Origin of athlete
1520–30; < Latin
āthlēta < Greek
āthlētḗs, equivalent to
āthlē- (variant stem of
āthleîn to contend for a prize, derivative of
âthlos a contest) +
-tēs suffix of agency
pronunciation note for athlete
Athlete,
athletic, and
athletics, normally pronounced
[ath-leet] /ˈæθ lit/,
[ath-let-ik] /æθˈlɛt ɪk/, and
[ath-let-iks] /æθˈlɛt ɪks/, are heard frequently with an epenthetic schwa, an intrusive unstressed vowel inserted between the first and second syllables:
[ath-uh-leet] /ˈæθ əˌlit/,
[ath-uh-let-ik] /ˌæθ əˈlɛt ɪk/, and
[ath-uh-let-iks] /ˌæθ əˈlɛt ɪks/. The pronunciations containing the extra syllable are usually considered nonstandard, in spite of their widespread use on radio and television. Pronunciations with similarly intrusive vowels are also heard, though with less currency, for other words, as
[fil-uh m] /ˈfɪl əm/ for
film,
[el-uh m] /ˈɛl əm/ for
elm, and
[ahr-thuh-rahy-tis] /ˌɑr θəˈraɪ tɪs/ for
arthritis, rather than the standard
[film] /fɪlm/,
[elm] /ɛlm/, and
[ahr-thrahy-tis] /ɑrˈθraɪ tɪs/.
OTHER WORDS FROM athlete
non·ath·lete, noun su·per·ath·lete, nounWords nearby athlete
Example sentences from the Web for athlete
British Dictionary definitions for athlete
athlete
/ (ˈæθliːt) /
noun
a person trained to compete in sports or exercises involving physical strength, speed, or endurance
a person who has a natural aptitude for physical activities
mainly British
a competitor in track and field events
Word Origin for athlete
C18: from Latin via Greek
athlētēs, from
athlein to compete for a prize, from
athlos a contest