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ODE→idiot savant

idiot savant

Flag: gbEnglishOxford Dictionary of English
idiot savant /ˌiːdiəʊ saˈvɒ̃ , ˌɪdiət ˈsavnt , ˌɪdiət səˈvɑːnt /
▸ noun
(plural idiot savants)
(plural or idiots savants /ˌiːdiəʊ saˈvɒ̃ , ˌɪdiət ˈsavnt , ˌɪdiət səˈvɑːnt /)
a person who has an exceptional aptitude in one particular field, such as music or mathematics, despite having significant impairment in other areas of intellectual or social functioning.
▪ a person who is extremely unworldly but displays natural wisdom and insight.
– ORIGIN French, literally ‘knowledgeable idiot’.