professor

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   The most senior rank for an academic at a university or similar institution.

   Professor is what you become after teaching for twenty to thirty years.

2. 2
   noun

   One who professes something, such as a religious doctrine.

   […] I alvvayes thought / It vvas both impious and vnnaturall, / That ſuch immanity and bloody ſtrife / Should reigne among Profeſſors of one Faith.

3. 3
   noun

   A practitioner, one who (publicly) practises or teaches an art or skill.

   Two young men of familiar acquaintance … were one euening at a common Inne of this town (as I haue heard) where the one of them shewed his skill on the Virginals, to the no little contentement of the hearers. Nowe as diuers guests of the house came into the room to listen, so among the rest entered an artificiall Conny-catcher, who as occasion serued, in the time of ceissing betweene the seueral toyes and fancies hee plaid: very much commended his cunning, quicke hand, and such qualities praiseworthy in such a professour.

4. 4
   noun

   A pianist in a saloon, brothel, etc.

   You could hear […] pianos under the hands of whorehouse professors sounding like they came with keys between the keys.

5. 5
   noun

   A mock title for a person seen as pedantic or obsessive on a topic.

   This is just what I wanted. I got professor environment pants over here, and I can't get my jetski started. How am I gonna get back?

6. 6
   noun

   someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university

7. 7
   noun

   A teacher or faculty member at a college or university regardless of formal rank.

8. 8
   noun

   The puppeteer who performs a Punch and Judy show; a Punchman.

Etymology

From Middle English professor, professour, from Anglo-Norman proffessur and its etymon Latin professor (“declarer, person who claims knowledge”), from the past participle stem of profiteor (“profess”). By surface analysis, profess + -or.