GRADUATE (Med.

See also:

• LAT

Lat. graduale, to admit to an academical degree,

See also:

• GRADUS, or GRADUS AD PARNASSUM (a step to Parnassus)

gradus)  , in Great Britain a verb now only used in the academical sense intransitively, i.e . " to take or proceed to a university degree," and figuratively of acquiring knowledge of, or proficiency in, anything . The original transitive sense of " to confer or admit to a degree " is, however, still preserved in America, where the word is, moreover, not strictly confined to university degrees, but is used also of those successfully completing a course of study at any educational establishment . As a substantive, a " graduate " (Med . Lat. graduatus) is one who has taken a degree in a university . Those who have matriculated at a university, but not yet taken a degree, are known as " undergraduates." The word " student," used of undergraduates e.g. in Scottish universities, is never applied generally to those of the English and Irish universities . At Oxford the only " students " are the " senior students " (i.e. fellows) and " junior students " (i.e. undergraduates on the foundation, or " scholars ") of Christ Church . The verb " to graduate " is also used of dividing anything into degrees or parts in accordance with a given scale . For the scientific application see GRADUATION below . It may also mean " to arrange in -gradations " or " to adjust or apportion according to a given scale." Thus by " a graduated income-tax " is meant the system by which the percentage paid differs according to the amount of income on a pre-arranged scale .