collegian
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
An inmate of a prison.
Register: slang
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
While it [the wind] roared through the steeple of St George’s Church, and twirled all the cowls in the neighbourhood, it made a swoop to beat the Southwark smoke into the jail; and, plunging down the chimneys of the few early collegians who were yet lighting their fires, half suffocated them.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “collegian” mean?
An inmate of a prison.
Is “collegian” formal or informal?
collegian is generally slang.