Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun Any of the examinations for the B.A. degree with honors at Cambridge University in England.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun A tripod.
- noun In Cambridge University, England, the list of the successful candidates for honors in the departments specified in the quotation; also, the honor examination itself in any of these departments.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun obsolete A tripod.
- noun Cambridge University, Eng. A university examination of questionists, for honors; also, a tripos paper; one who prepares a tripos paper.
- noun the final university examination for classical honors, optional to all who have taken the mathematical honors.
- noun a printed list of the successful candidates for mathematical honors, accompanied by a piece in Latin verse. There are two of these, designed to commemorate the two tripos days. The first contains the names of the wranglers and senior optimes, and the second the names of the junior optimes. The word
tripos is supposed to refer to the three-legged stool formerly used at the examinations for these honors, though some derive it from the threebrackets formerly printed on the back of the paper.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun obsolete A three-legged structure; a
tripod . - noun Any of the final
examinations for aBA honours degree at Cambridge University.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun final honors degree examinations at Cambridge University
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Candidates for honours have to pass in certain additional subjects in their "little go", being then exempt from further examination until the final, or "tripos" -- a word sometimes derived from the three-legged stool on which candidates formerly sat, but now referring to the three classes into which successful candidates are divided.
The Catholic Encyclopedia, Volume 3: Brownson-Clairvaux 1840-1916 1913
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Oxygen is indispensable for the life of the tissues, and its supply is dependent upon the integrity of the three organs mentioned, which have been called the tripos of life.
Disease and Its Causes William Thomas Councilman
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And Daniel in particular went on to use it as a home from home whento his surprise, I think, and certainly to ourshe eventually settled in Israel after his graduation, with a double first, in his tripos course of archaeology, anthropology and social and political science, from Cambridge.
A Question of Honour Lord Michael Levy 2008
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Thales sent the golden tripos, which the fishermen found, and the oracle commanded to be [429] given to the wisest, to Bias,
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He got a 'double first' anyone who's survived the Cambridge music tripos will know that that takes a lot of doing, then headed for postgraduate studies at Princeton; last time I heard of him, several years ago, he was freelancing as a violinist in New York.
My old friend... Jessica 2007
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He got a 'double first' anyone who's survived the Cambridge music tripos will know that that takes a lot of doing, then headed for postgraduate studies at Princeton; last time I heard of him, several years ago, he was freelancing as a violinist in New York.
Archive 2007-06-01 Jessica 2007
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At Cambridge he had done very well, in the early days of the tripos, and was chosen fellow and tutor of Gonville and
Mary Anerley Richard Doddridge 2004
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The knife and the cane, menacing each other, were like tripos and short sword in a gladiatorial combat.
Tender is the Night 2003
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Moreover, I rejoice that next year is just the season for the triennial examinations, and you should start for the capital with all despatch; and in the tripos next spring, you will, by carrying the prize, be able to do justice to the proficiency you can boast of.
Hung Lou Meng 2003
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Cambridge University, England, one who has attained the first class in the elementary division of the public examination for honors in pure and mixed mathematics, commonly called the mathematical tripos, those who compose the second rank of honors being designated senior optimes, and those of the third order junior optimes.
artoparts commented on the word tripos
During the nineteenth century, mathematical education at British Universities was largely oriented towards preparing students for the Tripos examinations, which involved solving tricky problems within a set time. The exams originated in 1748, sometime after Isaac Newton's tenure at Cambridge, and the name Tripos came from the three-legged stool on which the student sat to argue his points. Those who placed in the first class were known as Wranglers, and were assured of a successful future in any profession. Those who placed in the second and third classes were known as Senior and Junior Optimes.
September 24, 2008