heptathlete

noun

hep·​tath·​lete hep-ˈtath-ˌlēt How to pronounce heptathlete (audio)
: an athlete who competes in a heptathlon

Examples of heptathlete in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
He is coached by his father, Greg, a college pole-vaulting champion from Louisiana, and his mother, Helena, a former international heptathlete from central Sweden. Sam Knight, The New Yorker, 5 Aug. 2024 The heptathlete’s motivation to keep performing at a high level? Haley Van Horn, Peoplemag, 4 Aug. 2024 In 1992: At the Barcelona Games, Jackie Joyner-Kersee became the first heptathlete to win two consecutive Olympic gold medals. Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 2 Aug. 2024 Just a few days earlier, for example, Duplantis—who was born in the United States to a pole-vaulting American father and Swedish heptathlete mom—did venture out. Sean Gregory, TIME, 31 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for heptathlete 

Word History

Etymology

blend of heptathlon and athlete

First Known Use

1981, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of heptathlete was in 1981

Dictionary Entries Near heptathlete

Cite this Entry

“Heptathlete.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/heptathlete. Accessed 6 Nov. 2024.

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