n.
Pronunciation: sense 1 jim- ' n ā -z ē - ə m, -zh ə m; sense 2 usu gim- ' nä-z ē - ə m
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural -na · si · ums or -na · sia \ - ' n ā -z ē - ə , - ' n ā -zh ə ; - ' nä-z ē - ə \
Etymology: Latin, exercise ground, school, from Greek gymnasion, from gymnazein to exercise naked, from gymnos naked ― more at NAKED
Date: 1598
1 a : a large room used for various indoor sports (as basketball or boxing) and usually equipped with gymnastic apparatus b : a building (as on a college campus) containing space and equipment for various indoor sports activities and usually including spectator accommodations, locker and shower rooms, offices, classrooms, and a swimming pool
2 [German, from Latin, school] : a European secondary school that prepares students for the university