Coming to English from the French word acrobate meaning "tightrope-walker," the word acrobat is originally made up from the Greek words akros (ἄκρος), meaning "topmost, peak," and the verb bainō (βαίνω), meaning "to walk." Thus, an acrobat is someone who walks with skill and coordination on top of things like a ball in a circus, or at great heights like on a tightrope.