Olympiad

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A major competition modelled on the Olympic Games, often held every four years in a particular field such as maths or science.

   She won a gold medal at the International Mathematical Olympiad.

2. 2
   noun

   A celebration of the Olympic Games, ancient or modern.

   Athletes from around the world gathered for the modern Olympiad.

3. 3
   noun

   A period of four years between one Olympic Games and the next, once used to measure time in ancient Greece.

   The Greeks counted the years by Olympiad rather than by century.

From the plural forms Olimpiades, Olympiades, and Olympiadiz of Middle English Olimpias and Olympias (“ancient Olympic Games, 4-year period between these games, intense battle or competition”) from Middle French Olympiade and Old French Olympiade (“ancient Olympic games, 4-year period between these games”), from Latin Olympias (“4-year period between Olympic Games”) whose genitive form was Olympiados or Olympiadis), from Ancient Greek Ὀλυμπῐᾰ́ς (Olumpĭắs, “ancient Olympic Games, 4-year period between these games”) whose plural form was Ὀλυμπῐᾰ́δες (Olumpĭắdes), from Ὀλυμπῐ́ᾱ (Olumpĭ́ā, “Olympi…

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