VARSITY

varsity, first team

(noun) a team representing a college or university

varsity

(noun) a British abbreviation of ‘university’; usually refers to Oxford University or Cambridge University

Source: WordNet® 3.1

Etymology

Noun

varsity (countable and uncountable, plural varsities)

(often, attributive) university

(sports, United States) The principal sports team representing an institution (usually a high school, college, or university.)

Usage notes

• Used attributively in the UK to describe a sports team representing a university or college, or a match involving such a team (in normal usage only applying to one of the older universities, and considered somewhat dated even then).

• Used attributively in the U.S. and Canada to describe a sports team made up of older high school or college students (generally the 3rd and 4th years of a 4-year program), as contrasted with the junior varsity team made up of 1st- and 2nd-year students.

Source: Wiktionary

Var"si*ty, n.

Definition: Colloq. contr. of University.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition