professor
UK /pɹəˈfɛs.ə/ · US /pɹəˈfɛs.ɚ/ noun
Forms professors professour Prof.
- noun The most senior rank for an academic at a university or similar institution.
- noun (US, Philippines, informal) A teacher or faculty member at a college or university regardless of formal rank.
- noun (archaic) One who professes something, such as a religious doctrine.
- noun (obsolete) A practitioner, one who (publicly) practises or teaches an art or skill.
- noun (US, slang) A pianist in a saloon, brothel, etc.
- noun The puppeteer who performs a Punch and Judy show; a Punchman.
- noun The title for someone who holds the job of professor.
- noun (informal, sometimes derogatory) A mock title for a person seen as pedantic or obsessive on a topic.
Synonyms
prof Prof.
Etymology
From Middle English professor, professour, from Anglo-Norman proffessur and its etymon Latin professor (“declarer, person who claims knowledge”), from the past participle stem of profiteor (“profess”). By surface analysis, profess + -or.
Webster’s 1913
- noun One who professed, or makes open declaration of, his sentiments or opinions; especially, one who makes a public avowal of his belief in the Scriptures and his faith in Christ, and thus unites himself to the visible church. "Professors of religion." Bacon.
- noun One who professed, or publicly teaches, any science or branch of learning; especially, an officer in a university, college, or other seminary, whose business it is to read lectures, or instruct students, in a particular branch of learning; as a professor of theology, of botany, of mathematics, or of political economy.
Etymology [L., a teacher, a public teacher: cf. F. professeur. See Profess.]
Sources: Wiktionary · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “professor”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details