/ˈʤɪmˌnæst/ plural gymnasts. Britannica Dictionary definition of GYMNAST. [count] : a person who performs various physical exercises on a mat or on special equipment as part of an athletic competition : a person who participates in the sport of gymnastics.

The term gymnastics, derived from a Greek word meaning “to exercise naked,” applied in ancient Greece to all exercises practiced in the gymnasium, the place where male athletes did indeed exercise unclothed.

a. : physical exercises designed to develop strength and coordination. b. : a competitive sport in which individuals perform optional and prescribed acrobatic feats mostly on special apparatus in order to demonstrate strength, balance, and body control.