cheerleader
cheer-lead-er · noun
Definitions
noun
- 1.
A person, typically a young woman, who performs organized cheering, chanting, and dancing to encourage spectators at a sporting event.
- 2.
(figurative) An enthusiastic and vocal supporter or advocate of something.
Forms
plural: cheerleaders
Phrases & expressions
- •head cheerleader — the leader of a cheerleading squad
- •cheerleader effect — the phenomenon where people appear more attractive in a group
Related words
Etymology
American English compound from cheer + leader, first attested in the early 20th century. The organized activity of cheerleading developed in American universities in the late 1800s.