[ge.nius] n, pl ge.nius.es or ge.nii [L, tutelary spirit, natural inclinations, fr. gignere to beget] (1513) 1 a pl genii: an attendant spirit of a person or place b pl usu genii: a person who influences another for good or bad
2: a strong leaning or inclination: penchant 3 a: a peculiar, distinctive, or identifying character or spirit b: the associations and traditions of a place c: a personification or embodiment esp. of a quality or condition
4. pl usu genii: spirit, jinni
5. pl usu geniuses a: a single strongly marked capacity or aptitude "had a ~ for getting along with boys --Mary Ross" b: extraordinary intellectual power esp. as manifested in creative activity c: a person endowed with transcendent mental superiority; esp: a person with a very high intelligence quotient syn see gift