English Explanatory Dictionary

professor

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. The most senior rank for an academic at a university or similar institution.
  2. A teacher or faculty member at a college or university regardless of formal rank.
  3. One who professes something, such as a religious doctrine.
  4. A practitioner, one who (publicly) practises or teaches an art or skill.
  5. A pianist in a saloon, brothel, etc.
  6. The puppeteer who performs a Punch and Judy show; a Punchman.
noun
  1. The title for someone who holds the job of professor.
  2. A mock title for a person seen as pedantic or obsessive on a topic.

Pronunciation

/pɹəˈfɛs.ə/ En-uk-professor.ogg /pɹəˈfɛs.ɚ/ en-us-professor.ogg /pɹəˈfes.ə/

Word forms

professor professors professour 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.

Synonyms

prof Prof.

Related words

professorial profestrix regius professor

Derived words

absent-minded professor adjunct professor assistant professor associate professor brofessor distinguished professor extraordinary professor full professor institute professor James B. Duke professor little professor mad professor nonprofessor president's professor professorate professordom professoress professoriat professoriate professorine professoring professorish professorless professorlike professorling professorly professor ordinarius Professor's Cube professorship regents' professor regents professor research professor Sterling professor subprofessor university professor visiting professor
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