apprentice
English edit
Alternative forms edit
- apprentise (obsolete)
Etymology edit
From Middle English apprentice, apprentesse, apprentyse, apprentis, from Old French aprentis, plural of aprentif, from Old French aprendre (verb), Late Latin apprendō, from Classical Latin apprehendō.
Pronunciation edit
Noun edit
apprentice (plural apprentices)
- A trainee, especially in a skilled trade.
- 1961 March, C. P. Boocock, “The organisation of Eastleigh Locomotive Works”, in Trains Illustrated, page 163:
- To this end a well-equipped and keenly-run apprentice training school has been in operation at Eastleigh since 1958 and here apprentices are given a good grounding in a number of trades, followed by a thorough training in the trade to which they become allocated.
- 2022 December 14, “Network News: A pipeline of work key for apprentices”, in RAIL, number 972, page 17:
- Scottish rail suppliers have told the Government that they can only reach their target of employing 500 apprentices if they are given a clear pipeline of work, rather than having to endure the current stop-go programme.
- (historical) One who is bound by indentures or by legal agreement to serve a tradesperson, or other person, for a certain time, with a view to learn the art, or trade, in which his master is bound to instruct him.
- (dated) One not well versed in a subject; a tyro or newbie.
Derived terms edit
Translations edit
trainee, especially in a skilled trade
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historical: one who is bound to serve a tradesperson with a view to learn his art or trade
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one not well versed in a subject — see newbie
See also edit
Verb edit
apprentice (third-person singular simple present apprentices, present participle apprenticing, simple past and past participle apprenticed)
- (transitive) To put under the care and supervision of a master, for the purpose of instruction in a trade or business.
- His father had apprenticed him to a silk merchant.
- He was apprenticed to a local employer.
- (transitive) To be an apprentice to.
- Joe apprenticed three different photographers before setting up his own studio.
Translations edit
put under the care and supervision of a master
be an apprentice to
References edit
- “apprentice”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “apprentice”, in Dictionary.com Unabridged, Dictionary.com, LLC, 1995–present.