Main Entry: idiot sa·vant

Pronunciation: \ˈē-ˌdyō-sä-ˈväⁿ, or same as idiot and savant for respective sing and plural forms\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural idiots savants \-ˌdyō-sä-ˈväⁿ(z)\ or idiot savants \-ˈväⁿ(z)\

Etymology: French, literally, learned idiot

Date: 1927

1 : a person affected with a mental disability (as autism or mental retardation) who exhibits exceptional skill or brilliance in some limited field (as mathematics or music) —called also savant
2 : a person who is highly knowledgeable about one subject but knows little about anything else