acrobat

/ˌækrəˈbæt/

/ˈækrəʊbæt/

Other forms: acrobats

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.

Definitions of acrobat

1. noun

   an athlete who performs acts requiring skill and agility and coordination
   types:

   aerialist

   an acrobat who performs in the air (as on a rope or trapeze)

   balancer

   an acrobat who balances himself in difficult positions

   circus acrobat

   an acrobat who performs acrobatic feats in a circus

   contortionist

   an acrobat able to twist into unusual positions

   funambulist, tightrope walker

   an acrobat who performs on a tightrope or slack rope

   ropedancer, ropewalker

   an acrobat who performs on a rope stretched at some height above the ground

   type of:

   athlete, jock

   a person trained to compete in sports