prodigy

[prod-i-jee] /ˈprɒd ɪ dʒi/
noun, plural prodigies.
1.
a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability:
a musical prodigy.
2.
a marvelous example (usually followed by of).
3.
something wonderful or marvelous; a wonder.
4.
something abnormal or monstrous.
5.
Archaic. something extraordinary regarded as of prophetic significance.
Origin
1425-75; late Middle English prodige < Latin prōdigium prophetic sign
Can be confused
prodigy, protégé.
Examples from the web for prodigy
  • For the subtlety and quickness of his understanding, and his penetrating genius, he was regarded as a prodigy.
  • He is considered the musical wunderkind of our time--a pianist prodigy.
  • The group, meanwhile, had a complicated relationship with the absent prodigy.
  • Now the eternal student, the perpetual prodigy, has graduated.
  • If you're an undiscovered artistic prodigy, then build a portfolio and share your work with established tattooists.
British Dictionary definitions for prodigy

prodigy

/ˈprɒdɪdʒɪ/
noun (pl) -gies
1.
a person, esp a child, of unusual or marvellous talents
2.
anything that is a cause of wonder and amazement
3.
something monstrous or abnormal
4.
an archaic word for omen
Word Origin
C16: from Latin prōdigium an unnatural happening, from pro-1 + -igium, probably from āio I say
Word Origin and History for prodigy
n.

late 15c., "sign, portent, something extraordinary from which omens are drawn," from Latin prodigium "prophetic sign, omen, portent, prodigy," from pro- "forth" (see pro-) + -igium, a suffix or word of unknown origin, perhaps from *agi-, root of aio "I say" (see adage). Meaning "child with exceptional abilities" first recorded 1650s.

prodigy in Technology

networking
A commercial on-line conferencing service, co-developed by IBM and Sears, Roebuck, Inc.
Prodigy's main competitors are AOL and Compuserve.
(1995-03-01)

Encyclopedia Article for prodigy

a child who, by about age 10, performs at the level of a highly trained adult in a particular sphere of activity or knowledge. In this sense, neither high intelligence nor eccentric skills by themselves qualify a child as a prodigy. Rather, it is the capacity to perform in a recognized area of endeavour in such a way as to receive broad acclaim that defines the prodigy. Therefore, individuals who are chess prodigies or "lightning calculators" (those who have a remarkable memory for figures) but who are otherwise mentally or developmentally disabled (such as "idiot savants") are not prodigies.

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