Rushees

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. A person who is being recruited or invited into a group or organization, often within a college or university setting
2. An individual participating in a formal recruitment process, typically to join a fraternity or sorority
3. Someone who is undergoing the selection process for membership in an exclusive cohort, engaging in various activities to assess compatibility

Etymology: "Rushees" is the plural of "rushee," so its history is the history of that base word. "Rushee" combines "rush," which descends from the Latin "rūscum" through Proto-West Germanic and Old English "rysce," with the suffix "-ee." The "-ee" ending came into English from Old French "-ée," which itself descends from Latin "-atus." In English it marks the person on the receiving end of an action, here someone being evaluated for membership.