Froshes

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A term used informally to refer to first-year students at a high school or university; it can also apply to rookie members of a team or organization; sometimes used to describe beginners in any context of learning or experience
2. An informal designation for newcomers in an educational setting, typically in their first year of studies; it may also denote inexperienced individuals in other environments; generally associated with youth and inexperience
3. This slang term identifies those who are in their initial year of high school or college; it can also signify novice participants in various activities; reflects a stage of early engagement in learning and social experiences

Etymology: The plural "froshes" is simply the plural of "frosh", the informal word for a first-year student. The noun "frosh" is itself a shortened form that traces back to the word for the frog, a connection that surprises most people who hear it used on campus. The frog link runs through Old English "frosc", which descended from a Proto-Germanic word for the animal, and Middle English later kept the form "frossh" or "frosch". The same root gave German "Frosch" and Dutch "vors", so the frog sense is shared across much of northern Europe. The student sense is far more recent: "frosh" is a blend of "freshman" and "sophomore", the two words for a first-year and second-year student in American English.

Synonyms: freshmen, first-years, newcomers

Antonyms: seniors, upperclassmen