Mathlete
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mathlete is a portmanteau of the words math and athlete.
The word is usually used to refer to someone very dedicated to the math team of a primary school or secondary school. More specifically, a mathlete is to the math team as an athlete is to a sports team. This word is especially ironic because stereotypically, those who do well in math team tend to be diametrically opposite to real athletes. The term is a registered trademark of the MathCounts organization.
The best mathletes in the United States place highly on the AIME, USAMO, and ARML. Those in other countries generally also do well on national olympiads (feeders to the International Mathematical Olympiad) to qualify. Note that mathlete is an American term.
Whilst mathletics is a commonly used term across many US educational institutions, there is one international, online site where students from any country can participate in Mathleticsanywhere, anytime.
The term was thrust into pop culture in the 2004 hit movie Mean Girls, as well as being featured in the short-lived cult TV series Freaks and Geeks.
The term is usually used in a joking manner, or at least with a humorous tone.
