Oppidan
[OP-ih-dən]
Part of speech: noun
Origin: Latin, 16th century
1.
A resident of a town.
Examples of Oppidan in a sentence
"Our car broke down on the outskirts of town, but an oppidan saw our lights and came to help us."
"The lake is largely unknown, except by a few oppidans of the nearby town who hike the surrounding trails."
About Oppidan
“Oppidan” is based on the Latin “oppidānus” (meaning “townspeople”), from the term “oppidum” (meaning “town”).
Did you Know?
The word “oppidan” can be used as a noun or an adjective to refer to a resident of a town, but historically it had a very specific usage in English boarding schools. Dating back to the 16th century at Eton College, an oppidan was a student who boarded in town rather than at the school itself. At Westminster School, an oppidan lived with his family in Westminster rather than at the school. The common theme here is that the oppidan lived in town.
