gymno-, gymn-

Referring to plants that have bare flowers which are without both calyx (covering) and corolla (whorl of petals inside the calyx): After buying their new house, Jack and Jill wanted to plant a willow tree which, they found out, is a gymnanthous type of tree with uncovered flowers.

From Greek antiquity, an Athenian official whose duty was to supervise athletic schools and sports.

1. A person who studies or has been educated at a more classical school as opposed to one who has attended a technical school: Jim is a gymnasiast in a school that is between elementary school and college; usually, grades 9 to 12.
2. Etymology: introduced in Germany in the 15th century as a name for a high school while in English it has remained mostly athletic.

1. A large room equipped for physical exercise or training of various kinds; for example, in a school or a private sports club: Some of the physical education at schools takes place in the gymnasium, a large hall that allows many students to be active in sports at the same time.
2. In Europe, primarily in Germany and some other European countries, a secondary school where the students are prepared for advanced education in universities: Almost all of the towns and cities in Germany have a gymnasium, where the students can receive an "Abitur" after successfully completing eight or nine years of education.

The ancient Greeks placed a high value on both physical and mental fitness. Each important city in Greece had a public area set aside in which young men would gather to exercise, compete in sports, and receive training in philosophy, music, and literature.

Living in a warm climate and not wanting to be encumbered in their activities by unnecessary clothing, the Greeks would typically do their exercising without wearing any apparel.

3. Etymology: the term given for the exercise area was gymnasion,; literally, "school for unclothed exercise"; from the Greek verb gymnazein, "to exercise with no clothing"; which is a derivative of the adjective gymnos, "unclothed".

The Greek gymnasion, became the Latin gymnasium, which was used in two distinct senses to mean both "an exercise ground" and "a public school".

Someone who is good in performing physical tasks which are designed to develop and display strength, balance, and agility; especially, those performed in a competitive sport: The gymnasts at Mike's school showed exceptional skills and competence for their last tests in physical education at the end of the term.

Relating to or involving the demonstrations of athleticism and agility: Jane displayed her gymnastic ability while she was on the balance beam during the competition with other school athletes.

1. Exercise using equipment that is designed to develop agility and muscular strength: Susan loved gymnastics and practiced many hours every day trying to improve her coordination and stamina on the uneven bars, rings, and weights in school.
2. The performance of a series of complex mental or physical operations of a particular kind; usually, rapidly and with great skill: Joe took part in the debate club at school and needed to use his best gymnastics of knowledge and mental skills in presenting solutions for the challenges that were presented by his opponents.

A belief that the bare text of the Bible, without note or comment, may be safely presented to the unlearned as an adequate guide to religious truth: Martin Luther translated the New Testament into the German language believing it would be understood by all Germans, rich or poor, educated or uneducated, which certainly exemplifies gymnobiblism.

Those who believe that the Bible can be presented to unlearned readers without commentary or explanations of religious teachers: Roman Catholic doctrine maintains that religious truth comes from the teachings of church priests and nuns and not by gymnobiblists who believe that everyone can read the Scriptures or holy books without having theological guidance.

Referring to fungi or lichens that have no covering on the outer, spore-bearing layer, or on their fruiting bodies: The old tree was standing in the garden with its gymnocarpic bark and patches of an orange composite organism covering the trunk and some of the branches.

A reference to not being protected or covered during basidiocarp (fruiting of fungi) development: Some gymnocarpous fruit consist of mushrooms, bracket fungi (fungus that forms on tree trunks and wood structures), and puffballs (round and brown fungus that lets out seeds through an opening in its top).

A reference to birds that are hatched without any feathers or any other bodily covering: When Grace’s biology teacher talked about the pigeons in their area, she found out that the newly hatched ones were gymnogenous and blind as they totally relied on their parents for warmth and food.

The obsession of being a "peeping Tom" or a male voyeur who gets his pleasure from watching the private acts of women without being seen by them: After realizing that he had an irresistible tendency to watch women changing their clothes at the public swimming area or in a department store, Greg decided to go to a psychologist, thinking he might be suffering from gymnogynomania.

Someone who has an urge or desire to spy on people when they are undressing: Thomas, the gymnogynomaniac, was finally caught in the changing rooms at the public swimming pool while he was watching women undressing and putting on their swimsuits!

In botany, pertaining to plants that have uncovered seeds or no shells: Some conifers; such as, the pine and spruce, do not have any particular structure to surround the ovule, thus being gymnogynous; however, they do become protected by the cone scales as they develop.