ath ‧ lete /ˈæθliːt/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1400-1500 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: athleta , from Greek athletes , from athlon 'prize, competition' ]
1 . someone who competes in sports competitions, especially running, jumping, and throwing:
a professional athlete
2 . someone who is good at sports and who often does sports:
I was a natural athlete as a kid.