freshman
Preserved but no longer current.
A University man during his first year. The official appellation for the students until they have passed the Previous or First Cambridge Examination, otherwise called the Smalls or Little Go, is Junior Sophs or Sophisters. After this they are Senior Sophs until their last term, when they are Questionists, or preparing "ad respondendum quæstioni." At Oxford the title FRESHMAN lasts for the first term.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “freshman” mean?
A University man during his first year. The official appellation for the students until they have passed the Previous or First Cambridge Examination, otherwise called the Smalls or Little Go, is Junior Sophs or Sophisters. After this they are Senior Sophs until their last term, when they are Questionists, or preparing "ad respondendum quæstioni." At Oxford the title FRESHMAN lasts for the first term.
Is “freshman” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.