Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1400-1500
Language: Latin
Origin: athleta, from Greek athletes, from athlon 'prize, competition'

athlete

 noun
     
ath‧lete [countable]
1 someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping, and throwing:
a professional athlete
2 someone who is good at sports and who often does sports:
I was a natural athlete as a kid.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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