Dictionary

calisthenics en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Southern-England) audio
• /ˌkæ.lɪsˈθɛ.nɪks/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kal- Proto-Indo-European *kal-wo-s? Ancient Greek κᾰλϝός (kălwós) Ancient Greek κᾰλός (kălós) Ancient Greek κάλλος (kállos) Ancient Greek σθένος (sthénos) Proto-Indo-European *-ikos Proto-Italic *-ikos Latin -icuslbor. Old French -iquebor. Middle English -ik English -ic Old English -as Middle English -es English -s English -ics English calisthenics From Ancient Greek κάλλος (kállos, “beauty”) + σθένος (sthénos, “strength”) + English -ics.

Meanings

1. (in-plural, plural, singular) Physical exercises with the participation of a multitude of muscles and often minimal equipment (thus, usually bodyweight exercises); strength training aspects and cardio aspects are both involved, and stamina is often a focus.
   • The husband-hunt had been a failure. Carlo had taken at least a dozen potential Misters Right on test runs of longer or shorter duration—perhaps a few lines of IM [instant messaging], perhaps a couple of promising dates, or sexual calisthenics. 2005 December 7, Scott & Scott [pseudonym; Scott Pomfret; Scott Whittier], chapter 8, in Nothing Personal (Romentics: A Novel Approach to Gay Romance), [North Charleston, S.C.]: BookSurge, →ISBN, page 50:
   • Just before sacktime, the Captain stood beside his sleeping bag doing his daily calisthenics; stripped down to his flaming red long johns, […] 1968, Seon Manley, Gogo Lewis, Polar Secrets: A Treasury of the Arctic and Antarctic, page 105:
2. (plural, singular) A system of such exercises.

Forms

Deriveds

anarchist calisthenics

Relateds

gymnastics

Translations (39)

de Eigengewichtsübungen (type of exercise) · hu erősítő torna (a system of such exercises) · de Calisthenics (type of exercise) · fr callisthénie (type of exercise) · oc callisténia (type of exercise) · it callistenia (type of exercise) · ja 美容体操 (type of exercise) · ca cal·listènia (type of exercise) · ru заря́дка (type of exercise) · bg калисте́ника (a system of such exercises) · bg физзаря́дка (type of exercise) · cs kalistenika (type of exercise) · cmn 柔軟體操 /柔软体操 (type of exercise) · az kalistenika (type of exercise) · scn caḍḍistinìa (type of exercise) · lv vingrošana (type of exercise) · hu testsúlygyakorlat (type of exercise) · hu kalisztenika (a system of such exercises) · ru ворка́ут (type of exercise) · es calistenia (type of exercise) · is leikfimiæfingar (type of exercise) · de Körpergewichtsübungen (type of exercise) · scn callistinìa (type of exercise) · hu tornagyakorlat (type of exercise) · bg физзаря́дка (a system of such exercises) · pt calistenia (type of exercise) · cs cvičení s vlastní vahou (type of exercise) · el καλλισθενική γυμναστική (type of exercise) · fi voimistelu (type of exercise) · ru гимна́стика (type of exercise) · fi kehonpainoharjoittelu (type of exercise) · pl kalistenika (a system of such exercises) · bg калисте́ника (type of exercise) · de Spannungsübungen (type of exercise) · pl kalistenika (type of exercise) · it calisthenics (type of exercise) · cmn 健美操 (type of exercise) · ru калисте́ника (type of exercise) · scn calisthenics (type of exercise)