polytechnic
part of speech
noun (a polytechnic, polytechnics); adjective (polytechnic — teaching many technical subjects)
meaning for a pupil
1) A college that teaches many practical and technical subjects, like engineering, building, computing and design, often to older students and adults. tree →
2) (UK) A kind of college that existed until 1992, when most polytechnics became universities. tree →
3) (adjective) Teaching many arts and sciences, especially technical ones: a polytechnic school. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday talk it is a place to learn a skilled job or a technical degree; «poly» is a short name for it in the UK, New Zealand and elsewhere. In history lessons it tells you about how colleges changed. Phrases: «go to the polytechnic», «polytechnic institute», «the local poly».
examples
- My uncle studied engineering at a polytechnic. tree →
- In New Zealand some colleges were called polytechnics for many years. tree →
- The polytechnic teaches plumbing, cooking and computer design. tree →
- In 1992 most British polytechnics became universities. tree →
- Mum went to the poly to train as a nurse. tree →
- Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute is a famous college in the USA. tree →
- A polytechnic is good for people who like hands-on learning. tree →
note
Countable: one polytechnic, two polytechnics. «Poly» is the informal short form (UK, NZ). From Greek «poly» (many) and «techne» (art, skill). Do not mix up with «polygon» (a shape with many sides); both start with «poly» meaning many.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «polytechnic» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.