sophomore

views updated May 23 2018

sophomore in North America, a second-year university or high-school student. The word is recorded from the mid 17th century (originally, as a second-year student at Cambridge University), and comes from sophum, sophom, obsolete variants of sophism ‘a fallacious argument, especially one used deliberately to deceive and serving as a University exercise’.

The Oxford Dictionary of Phrase and Fable ELIZABETH KNOWLES

sophomore

views updated Jun 11 2018

sophomore (at universities, now U.S.) student in his second year. XVII. Earlier sophumer (-ER1), beside prp. sophuming, f. sophum, obs. var. of SOPHISM
.

The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology T. F. HOAD

sophomore

views updated May 21 2018

soph·o·more / ˈsäf(ə)ˌmôr/ • n. a second-year college or high school student.

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English

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