sb. and a. [f. L. collēgi-um COLLEGE + -AN. Prob. immed. ad. med.L. collēgiānus: cf. oppidānus. Cf. F. collégien.]
A sb. 1. A member or inmate of a college; one who is receiving, or has received, a college education, a student; also spec. one who is on the ‘foundation’ of a college, a ‘colleger.’
1462. J. Paston, in Paston Lett., No. 461, II. 114. A college of vij. monkes or prestes havyng a certeyn pension … withowt any charge … to be bore be the seyd collegians.
1583. T. Stocker, Civ. Warres Lowe C., IV. 44 a. All swornemen, Brotherhoods, & Collegiannes likewise.
1607. Walkington, Opt. Glass, iv. (1664), 55. Bacchus is a wise Collegian, who admits merriment, and expels dreriment.
1730. Swift, Betty the Grizette. Picking wit among collegians, In the play-house upper regions.
1771. Junius Lett., liv. 282. I will not descend to answer the little sneering sophistries of a collegian.
1875. Merivale, Gen. Hist. Rome, lxvi. (1877), 527. The discussions of the learned collegians at the Museum.
b. One who is on the side of a college; a college partizan.
1697. Blair, in W. Perry, Hist. Coll. Amer. Col. Ch., I. 19. All the Governors friends employ their utmost interest to keep out any one that is a friend to the College … ‘if you choose such a one’ say they ‘he is a Collegian and we shall have a tax for the College.’
2. slang. An inmate of a prison. Cf. COLLEGE 8.
1837. Dickens, Pickw., xliv. They’ve been most infernally blown up by the collegians [in the Fleet]. Ibid. (1855), Dorrit, vi. (D.). Letters … enclosing half-a-crown … for the Father of the Marshalsea, ‘with the compliments of a collegian taking leave.’
3. One of a sect founded in Holland in 1619.
1727–51. Chambers, Cycl., Collegians, Collegiani, a religious sect formed among the Arminians and Anabaptists in Holland; so called, because of their colleges, or meetings.
1818. [see COLLEGIANT].
B. adj. = COLLEGIAL.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 73. To crawl and creep about a while in some Collegian Cells.
1859. Sala, Tw. round Clock (1861), 105. Some of the collegian prisoners … have women and little children with them.
