gymnastics

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A sport involving physical exercises that show strength, balance, and flexibility.

   She has practised gymnastics since she was five.

2. 2
   noun

   Clever or complicated mental or physical efforts.

   It took some impressive mental gymnastics to explain his mistake.

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.

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