Definition of "gymnastics" []

• Physical exercises designed to develop and display strength, balance, and agility, especially those performed on or with specialized apparatus. (noun)
• The art or practice of such exercises. (noun)
• Complex intellectual or artistic exercises: mental gymnastics. (noun)
• Informal Feats of physical agility: had to go through gymnastics to cross the slippery walk. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "_movement_, the _gymnastics_ of children, is necessary, because, as is well known, muscles which are not exercised become incapable of performing the variety of movements of which the muscular system is capable, so an analogous system of gymnastics is necessary to maintain the activity of the psychical life."
• "Under the term gymnastics, literally naked exercises, we here include those denuded of all utilities or ulterior ends save those of physical culture."
• ""The issue around the gymnastics is around the safety of the kids and it was not motivated by any concept of litigation, but certainly [by] that safety and well-being component of those kids when we're talking heads and necks and potentially backs if there were an injury.""