THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

Funambulist

[fyoo-NAM-byoo-list]Part of speech: noun

Origin: latin, 19th century

A tightrope walker
One who demonstrates mental agility

Examples of Funambulist in a sentence

The star of the circus was the funambulist dancing high above the crowd on a tightrope.
He earned his reputation as a funambulist by winning the trivia competition 10 weeks in a row.

About Funambulist

The literal definition of "funambulist" is tightrope walker. In Latin, "funis" means rope and "ambulare" is to walk. In ancient Rome, tightrope walking was a popular sight at public markets and gatherings. Today, you could see a funambulist at the circus, or you could use the figurative meaning to describe anyone with skilled mental prowess.