A person who walks or performs on a tightrope or rope; a skilled tightrope walker or acrobat.
From Latin funambulus plus the suffix -ist (one who practices or specializes in). The -ist suffix comes from Greek and Latin and denotes a person devoted to a particular practice. This is the most common English term for a tightrope walker, established in the 18th century.
Funambulist is probably the most famous word in this whole family—it's the standard English term for a tightrope walker, and it sounds mysterious because it comes straight from Latin via theatrical traditions!
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