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idiot savant

[ id-ee-uht sa-vahnt, suh-vant, sav-uhnt; French ee-dyoh sa-vahn ]

noun

, Psychiatry.
, plural id·i·ot sa·vants, French id·i·ots sa·vants [ee-dyoh s, a, -, vahn].
  1. a mentally defective person with an exceptional skill or talent in a special field, as a highly developed ability to play music or to solve complex mathematical problems mentally at great speed.


idiot savant

/ ˈɪdɪət ˈsævənt; ˈiːdjəʊ sæˈvɑ̃ /

noun

  1. a person with learning difficulties who performs brilliantly at some specialized intellectual task, such as giving the day of the week for any calendar date past or present
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


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Word History and Origins

Origin of idiot savant1

1925–30; < French: literally, learned idiot
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Word History and Origins

Origin of idiot savant1

C19: from French: knowledgeable idiot

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