[a. F. équilibriste, f. équilibre: see EQUILIBRE.] One who is skilled in feats of ‘balancing’; esp. a rope-walker, acrobat.
1760. Monthly Rev., Aug., 163. Qualifications … judged necessary to constitute an equilibrist.
1801. Strutt, Sports & Past., III. v. 200. A monkey has lately performed there, both as a rope-dancer and an equilibrist.
1841. Catlin, N. Amer. Ind. (1844), II. li. 138. If he be not an experienced equilibrist, he is sure to get two or three times soused.
1861. Illustr. Lond. News, 24 Aug., 193/3. The daring equilibrist began her exhibition of skill.
Hence Equilibristic a., of, pertaining to, or characteristic of, an equilibrist.
1882. Standard, 14 Jan., 3/5. Equilibristic performances.
1884. L’pool Mercury, 22 Oct., 6/4. Miss Henriette on a single wire gives a clever ‘equilibristic’ entertainment.
