Pronunciation: ' ē - ˌ dy ō -sä- ' vä n , or same as IDIOT and SAVANT for respective sing and pl forms
Function: noun
Inflected Form: plural idiots savants \ - ˌ dy ō -sä- ' vä n (z) \ or idiot savants \ - ' vä n (z) \
Etymology: F, 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