gymnastics
/d͡ʒɪmˈnæs.tɪks/ noun
Also a form of gymnastic
- noun A sport involving the performance of sequences of movements requiring physical strength, flexibility, and kinesthetic awareness. “Gymnastics was a significant part of the physical education curriculum.”
- noun Complex intellectual or artistic exercises or feats of physical agility. “His mental gymnastics are legendary.”
Synonyms
Etymology
From gymnastic: see -ics; from Latin gymnasticus, from Ancient Greek γυμναστικός (gumnastikós), from γυμναστής (gumnastḗs, “athlete, gymnast”), from γῠμνᾰ́ζω (gŭmnắzō, “to train, exercise”), from γυμνός (gumnós, “naked”), because Greek athletes trained naked. By surface analysis, gymnast + -ics.
Webster’s 1913
- noun Athletic or disciplinary exercises; the art of performing gymnastic exercises; also, disciplinary exercises for the intellect or character.
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “gymnastics”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details