acrobat: [19] The Greek adjective ákros meant ‘topmost, at the tip or extremity’ (it derives ultimately from the Indo-European base *akmeaning ‘be pointed or sharp’, which also gave rise to acid, acute, oxygen, and edge). It crops up in acrophobia ‘fear of heights’; in acropolis ‘citadel’, literally ‘upper city’; in acromegaly ‘unnaturally enlarged condition of the hands, feet, and face’, literally ‘large extremities’; and in acronym, literally ‘word formed from the tips of words’. Acrobat itself means literally ‘walking on tiptoe’.
The -bat morpheme comes from Greek baínein ‘walk’, which is closely related to basis and base, and is also connected with come. Akrobátēs existed as a term in Greek, and reached English via French acrobate. => acid, acute, edge, oxygen
acrobat (n.)
1825, from French acrobate (14c.), "tightrope-walker," and directly from Greek akrobates "rope dancer, gymnastic performer," which is related to akrobatos "going on tip-toe, climbing up high," from akros "topmost, at the point end" (see acrid) + stem of bainein "walk, go" (see come).
雙語例句
1. The acrobat balanced a long pole on his left shoulder.
雜技演員讓一根長桿在他的左肩上保持平衡.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
2. The acrobat could bend himself into a hoop.
這個雜技演員可以把身體蜷曲成圓形.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
3. An acrobat has to be agile.
雜技演員必須身手敏捷.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
4. The acrobat bounced high from the ground.
那個雜技演員從地面上一下子彈跳得老高.
來自《簡明英漢詞典》
5. The acrobat's feat took the audience's breath away.