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ac·ro·bat

(ăkrə-băt′)

1. One who is skilled in feats of balance and agility in gymnastics.

2. One who changes one's viewpoint on short notice in response to the circumstances.

[French acrobate, from Greek akrobatēs : akros, high; see ACRO- + bainein, bat-, to walk; see g^wā- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

ac′ro·batic adj.

ac′ro·bati·cal·ly adv.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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