record-holder
UK[ˈrek.ɔːd ˌhəʊl.dər]US[ˈrek.ɚd ˌhoʊl.dɚ]
n
A person who has achieved the best performance that has been officially measured and noted.
n
A person who officially possesses a record, such as a world record.
Morpheme Breakdown
record
holder
record
noun
holder
noun
Etymology
The term 'record-holder' is a transparent 19th-century English compound, logically combining two established nouns. The first element, 'record', originates from the Latin 'recordari', meaning 'to remember', which itself is built from 're-' (again) and 'cor' (heart, mind). By the 14th century, it had evolved in English to denote a formal written account of facts. The second element, 'holder', derives from the Old English verb 'healdan', meaning to grasp or keep, with the agentive suffix '-er' denoting a person. Thus, a 'record-holder' is literally 'one who holds or possesses a (documented) record', a meaning that perfectly captures the modern sense of a person officially recognized for a supreme achievement.
Analysis
Structure: record (noun) + holder (noun)
- record: From Latin 'recordari' (to remember, call to mind), via Anglo-French. In this compound, it functions as a noun meaning an official documented achievement.
- holder: From Old English 'healdan' (to hold). The agent noun suffix '-er' (from Old English '-ere', agentive) is attached to the verb stem 'hold', creating a noun meaning 'one who holds or possesses something'.
Examples
She became the new world record-holder in the 100-meter dash.
The long-standing record-holder finally had his title challenged by a younger athlete.
As the current record-holder, she felt immense pressure to defend her title at the championships.