Is alum an abbreviation for alumni?

Initially the plural forms were alumni to refer to multiple men (or multiple men and women) and alumnae for multiple women. A little over a hundred years ago the shortened form of alum began to be used to describe a graduate or past attendee of either gender.

Is alum short for alumni?

“Alumna” refers to a single female alum, and “alumnus” is a single male alum. The terms “alum” (singular, not gender specific) and “alums” (plural, not gender specific) are more informal and are acceptable, particularly when the gender is unknown.

Do I call myself alumni or alum?

For an individual graduate, an alumnus is a single male, an alumna is a single female, and an alum is the gender neutral term. For the plurals, alumni refers to multiple male or gender neutral graduates, alumnae is for multiple female grads, and alums is the gender neutral plural.

What is alum short for?

The word “alum” is an informal reference to either a male or female graduate. “Alums” refers to a group of graduates that can be all male, all female or mixed. While this slang is fine for casual conversation, most grammar experts recommend using the proper Latin names in professional settings.

Can you use alum instead of alumni?

Alumni and alumnus are the preferred plural and singular terms of alumni of any gender. The feminine terms—alumna (singular) and alumnae (plural)—may be used in the context of the publication or the preferences of the subjects. Do not shorten to “alum” or “alums” except in informal communications.

Alumnus? Alumna? Alumni? Alumnae? Alum?

What does alum mean in college?

The obvious answer is that an alum is a graduate or a longtime attendee of a particular school, college, or university. Aside from the obvious, there are a few different words that can describe a graduate! Alumnus: refers to a male graduate or former student. Alumna: refers to a woman graduate or former student.

Why is alum not recommended?

Alum is no longer recommended because the aluminum in this product may be unsafe to consume. stored too long will not make a quality product. harbor bacteria that may cause softening in pickles. that cause softening are concentrated in the blossom end, and discarding a thin slice will help to keep pickles firm.

Should you use alum?

Alum is an astringent, which means it will draw moisture from the skin. Even if your skin isn't particularly sensitive, you probably shouldn't use it more than twice a day. If you use alum a lot, you could find your skin overcompensating for the antiseptic properties by producing more oil than it naturally would.

Why is it called alum?

Alum refers to a collection of chemical compounds that are hydrated sulfate salts of aluminum and usually one other metal. Common forms of alum include hydrated potassium aluminum sulfate, ammonium aluminum sulfate, and sodium aluminum sulfate. The different compounds have different functions.

Is alumni politically correct?

“Alumni” is plural, used for multiple men or for a mixed-gender group (so it does not make sense to refer to an individual as “an alumni”). The shortened, gender-neutral forms “alum” and “alums” can be used in less formal contexts.

How do you address yourself as an alumni?

What do you call someone you went to college with?

We can call such a person a “fellow”, a “peer”, or a “colleague”. “Classmate” would also be understood, but we use it for elementary up to high school age. In specific settings you can say “lab partner”, “roommate”, “buddy”. Also, if you were to say, “Oh, we're fellow alumni at Duke,” that would be well understood.

What is an alum at Harvard?

Alumni (AL) – An alumnus/alumna is defined as an individual who has received a degree from any school at Harvard University or Radcliffe College, including honorary degrees.

What is the full name of alumni?

An alumnus (masculine, plural alumni) or alumna (feminine, plural alumnae) is a former student or pupil of a school, college, or university. Commonly, but not always, the word refers to a graduate of the educational institution in question.

How do you write alumni year?

When referring to a retired male professor, use the word emeritus after the title (e.g., Joe Smith, dean emeritus of the graduate school, visited.). Alumni names are expressed with an apostrophe and the last two digits of the graduation year (e.g., Jane Doe '96). Note the direction of the apostrophe.

Is alum a formal word?

A little over a hundred years ago the shortened form of alum began to be used to describe a graduate or past attendee of either gender. Although many people feel that alum is informal, it is in increasing use, and we appear to be moving toward a greater acceptance of the word. The plural of alum is alums.

Why do people use alum?

Alum is an aluminum compound with many uses. For example, people can use alum blocks as antiperspirant deodorants to reduce post-shave irritation or stop bleeding from small cuts. Alum is an astringent and bacteriostatic agent, meaning it inhibits bacterial growth.

What is an alum in high school?

alumnus. noun. alum·​nus ə-ˈləm-nəs. plural alumni -ˌnī : a person who has attended or has graduated from a particular school, college, or university.

What are the pros and cons of alum?

Does alum smell good?

If you're looking for a natural deodorant for sensitive skin, you're in the right place. This crystal is silky smooth, unscented, and super gentle. It actually has healing properties - it's cooling, toning for the skin and naturally antibacterial.

What does alum do for your teeth?

Alum mouthwashes used for its properties like astringent, anti-plaque, anti-gingivitis, antimicrobial, antiseptic, anti-calculus, decreasing dentinal hypersensitivity, prevention of halitosis, reduction of enamel dissolution, and symbiotic activity with fluoride.

Is alum bad for you?

Aluminum sulfate is fairly non-toxic, with acute and chronic oral LD50 both greater than 5,000mg/kg (5). However, alum can still cause irritation, burns, and respiratory issues. If inhaled, it may cause headaches, nausea, and respiratory irritations. Alum is not listed as a carcinogen by NTP, IARC, or OSHA.

Is alum safe for eyes?

When topically administered, alum may cause severe ocular injury. Public awareness, early recognition of the injuries, and timely intervention may prevent permanent ocular damage.

Is alum still used in food?

It is still widely used in water treatment, for medicine, for cosmetics (in deodorant), for food preparation (in baking powder and pickling), and to fire-proof paper and cloth.