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Origin and history of graduate

graduate(n.)

early 15c., "one who holds a degree" (originally with man; as a stand-alone noun from mid-15c.), from Medieval Latin graduatus, past participle of graduari "to take a degree," from Latin gradus "a step; a step climbed (on a ladder or stair);" figuratively "a step toward something, a degree of something rising by stages" (from PIE root *ghredh- "to walk, go"). As an adjective, from late 15c.

graduate(v.)

early 15c., "to confer a university degree upon," from Medieval Latin graduatus (see graduate (n.)). Intransitive sense from 1807. Related: Graduated; graduating.

also from early 15c.

Entries linking to graduate

grad(n.)

abbreviation of graduate (n.), attested from 1871.

graduand(n.)

in British universities, a student who has passed the necessary examinations but not yet graduated, 1882, from Medieval Latin graduandus, gerundive of graduari "to have a degree" (see graduate (n.)).

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graduation
early 15c., in alchemy, "a tempering, a refining of something to a certain degree; measurement according to the four degrees of a quality," from graduate (n.). General sense of "a dividing into degrees" is from 1590s; meaning "action of receiving or giving an academic degree" is
alum
"whitish mineral salt used as an astringent, dye, etc.," late 14c., from Old French alum, alun, from Latin alumen "alum," also "the alum plant," from Proto-Italic *alu- "bitter substance" literally "bitter salt," cognate with Greek aludoimos "bitter" and perhaps with English ale
Cambridge
, U.S., originally was New Towne but was renamed 1638 after the founding there of Harvard College, John Harvard being a graduate...
ovate
Now an ofydd, or, as the word is sometimes rendered into English, ovate, is commonly understood to mean an Eisteddfodic graduate...
student
late 14c., studient, "studious person, one who pursues knowledge," from Old French estudiant "student, scholar, one who is studying" (Modern French étudiant), noun use of present participle of estudiier, from Medieval Latin studiare "to study," from Latin studium (see study (v.))
scholar
Middle English scolere, from Old English scolere "student, one who receives instruction in a school, one who learns from a teacher," from Medieval Latin scholaris, "a pupil, scholar," noun use of Late Latin scholaris "of a school," from Latin schola (see school (n.1), and compare
maul
mid-13c., meallen "to strike, beat, or bruise with a heavy weapon," from Middle English mealle (mid-13c.) "mace, wooden club, heavy hammer" (see maul (n.)). It has gradually lost its association with hammering. To maul through "pierce with a pointed weapon" is attested by mid-14c
confer
1530s, "examine by comparison;" 1540s (intransitive) "consult together on some special subject;" 1560s, "bestow as a gift or permanent possession," from Old French conférer (14c.) "to give; to converse; to compare," from Latin conferre "to bring together," figuratively "to compar
manual
"of or pertaining to the hand; done, made, or used by hand;" c. 1400, from Latin manualis "of or belonging to the hand; that can be thrown by hand," from manus "hand, strength, power over; armed force; handwriting," from PIE root *man- (2) "hand." The military manual exercise (17
receive
c. 1300, receiven, "take into one's possession, accept possession of," also in reference to the sacrament, from Old North French receivre (Old French recoivre) "seize, take hold of, pick up; welcome, accept," from Latin recipere "regain, take back, bring back, carry back, recover

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