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bejan

bejan

1 9.9
A first-year university student, especially at older Scottish universities
  • noun
  • /ˈbiːdʒən/
  • Archaic
: novato

Examples

  • Adrian Bejan

    Academic text (2001)
  • Mere Civility: Disagreement and the Limits of Toleration by Teresa M. Bejan (Harvard University Press; 272 pages; $45).

    Academic text (2017)
  • As a bejan, she often felt overwhelmed by the advanced topics being discussed in the lecture hall.

  • The bejan struggled to keep up with his classmates during the rigorous course on medieval history.

  • Attending the orientation helped the bejan feel more comfortable in the unfamiliar university environment.

Synonyms

undergraduate
vsbejan
85 3.2

A student at a university who has not yet earned a first degree

refers specifically to a first-year student rather than any degree student
fresher
vsbejan
  • UK
2 5.5

A student in their first year at a university or college

is archaic Scottish usage rather than standard modern UK use
frosh
vsbejan
  • Informal
2 8.0

A first-year student at high school or college

is archaic Scottish usage rather than modern North American informal use

How Experienced

upperclassman
  • US
10 3.5
experienced
255 2.1
first-year
204 3.0
beginner
78 1.0
bejan
  • Archaic
1 9.9

Surface Forms

bejan singular
bejans plural

Etymology

Bejan comes from old French bec jaune meaning 'yellow beak'. Think of a new student as a young bird with a 'yellow beak' to remember that bejan meant a first-year, inexperienced student in Scotland.