Definitive Jest

Entry: matriculating (v.)


In context: "It turned out a couple days later that the kid had some kind of either family or cerebro-spinal-fluid crisis at home in rural IL and wasn't matriculating now till th Spring term."

Definition: To enter (a name) in the register of a university, college, etc.; (now) esp. to admit as a member of a university, college, etc. Also fig.

but also:

To pass a matriculation examination at the end of one's school career, and receive a matriculation certificate.

and:

To consign to maternal care. Obs. rare.

Other: A common enough word, though I chose it more because I was curious about the etymology.  Unfortunately, the etymology isn't particularly interesting:

Etymology:  < post-classical Latin matriculat-, past participial stem (compare -ate suffix3) of matriculare to enrol (1402, apparently exclusively in British sources; compare earlier immatriculare immatriculate v. in the same sense (1138; 1378 in a British source)) < matricula matricula n. Compare Italian matricolare (a1412), Old Occitan matricular (1471), Middle French, French matriculer (1550; rare before 19th cent.), Portuguese matricular (17th cent.), Spanish matricular (1706). In some senses extended uses apparently influenced by association with classical Latin māter mother (compare matri- comb. form).

SNOOT score: 2

Page: 519

Source: Oxford English Dictionary