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