acrobat

American  

[ak-ruh-bat] / ˈæk rəˌbæt /

noun

1. a skilled performer of gymnastic feats, as walking on a tightrope or swinging on a trapeze.

2. a person who readily changes viewpoints or opinions.

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acrobat British  

/ ˈækrəˌbæt /

noun

1. an entertainer who performs acts that require skill, agility, and coordination, such as tumbling, swinging from a trapeze, or walking a tightrope

2. a person noted for his frequent and rapid changes of position or allegiances

   a political acrobat

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Other Word Forms

• acrobatic adjective
• acrobatically adverb

Etymology

Origin of acrobat

First recorded in 1815–25; from French acrobate, from Greek akróbatos “walking on tiptoe,” equivalent to akro- prefix meaning “height, extremity” + -batos, verbal adjective of baínein “to go”; the French word may be a recoinage, or an etymological reading of the Greek word; acro-

Explanation

An acrobat is someone who skillfully performs gymnastic feats or other actions that involve agility and balance, such as a trapeze artist soaring through the air, or a tightrope walker at the circus. You may be tempted to conclude that the bat in acrobat is a tribute to the animal that soars through the air when not hanging upside down. The source is not quite that creative. It comes from bainein, which is Greek for "to walk." The acro bit comes from akros, meaning "highest point." So acrobat is a reference to the classic and possibly first trick perfected by these artists, tightrope walking.

Example Sentences

“They used me as a model in their diving program,” says Louganis, who trained as an acrobat and dancer as a child before moving to diving.

From Salon • Aug. 10, 2024

But the first visitor it recorded was dangling from its hind legs like a Squirrel du Soleil acrobat feasting on the bird seed.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2024

Midway, an acrobat stood balanced on the shoulders of another who walked the entire length of the runway and back.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 13, 2024

The acrobat, aged in his 20s, fell while riding the "giant wheel of death" apparatus at the Hippodrome Circus in Great Yarmouth on Wednesday evening.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2023

She was even a surprise to Eril-Fane, who’d gone to Syriza seeking a builder, not an acrobat.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor

Related Words

• clown
• dancer
• gymnast
• performer
• tumbler