See also TRIPUS. [app. irreg. alteration of L. tripūs TRIPOD, after Greek words in -ος.]
† 1. A three-legged vessel, seat, or frame: TRIPOD A. 1, 3, 4. Obs.
1621. Burton, Anat. Mel., To Rdr. (1628), 41. Thales sent the golden Tripos … to Bias, Bias to Solon, &c.
1697. W. Derham, in Phil. Trans., XX. 4. For which purpose a Tripos may be best, whose Legs open and shut by Joynts at the Top.
1745. D. E. Baker, ibid., XLIII. 540. A most curious antique Tripos of Metal.
1827. G. Higgins, Celtic Druids, 27. They were made of thin laminæ of gold—something like the triposes of the ancient Peruvians.
† b. spec. = TRIPOD 2. Obs.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 22. Posting from Arcadia to the Tripos where Pithia sate.
1606. Marston, Parasit., I. ii. B j. What, in the name of prophesie?… Speake, thou three legd Tripos, is thy shippe of Fooles a flote yet? [perh. sense 2.]
1679. Dryden, Troil. & Cress., Pref. The inspiration was still upon him, he was ever tearing it upon the tripos.
1756. J. Kennedy, Curios. Wilton Ho. (1786), 30. The two Griffins and the Tripos are the Symbols of Apollo.
1779. J. Duché, Disc., I. xv. 285. Whatsoever the thrice-great Hermes delivered as oracles from his sacred tripos.
2. Cambridge University. Formerly: a. A bachelor of arts appointed to dispute, in a humorous or satirical style, with the candidates for degrees at ‘Commencement’ (corresponding to the TERRÆ FILIUS at Oxford): so called from the three-legged stool on which he sat. b. A set of humorous verses, originally composed by the ‘Tripos,’ and (till 1894) published at Commencement after his office was abolished (in full, tripos verses: see e). c. The list of candidates qualified for the honor degree in mathematics, originally printed on the back of the paper containing these verses (in full, tripos list: see e).
1659–60. Pepys, Diary, 26 Feb. Mr. Nicholas, of Queen’s College [Cambr.], who I knew in my time to be Tripos with great applause.
1665. J. Buck, in Peacock, Stat. Cambr. (1841), App. B. p. lxx. The Senior Proctor calleth up the Tripos, and exhorteth him to be witty, but modest withall. Ibid., p. lxxi. The Bedels also are to deliver the Tripos’s Verses to the V.C., Noblemen, Drs etc.
1696. Phillips (ed. 5), Tripos,… the Name which is given at Cambridge, to him that is called the Terræ Filius at Oxford.
1797. Cambr. Univ. Cal., 157. A List of those who have received Honors, on commencing Bachelors of Arts; copied from the Triposes.
1841. Peacock, Stat. Cambr., App. A. p. x., note. He was called the bachelor of the stool, or tripos, which gave the name to the day: he was generally selected for his skill and readiness in disputation, and was allowed … considerable license of language.
1857. Coll. Life t. Jas. I., 89. Those annual verses which still bear the name of tripos.
d. Hence, in current use: orig. The final honors examination for the B.A. degree in mathematics, consisting of two parts (formerly first and second tripos, now the Mathematical Tripos, Parts I. and II.); later, extended to the subsequently founded final honors examinations in other subjects (Classical Tripos, Theological Tripos, etc.).
1842. Cambr. Univ. Cal., 27. First Tripos Day. On the Day after Ash-Wednesday, at one o’clock, the bell rings for the first Tripos…. The second Tripos is on the Thursday after Midlent Sunday.
1865. Reader, 4 March, 245/2. The Mathematical and Classical Triposes.
1875. in Willis & Clark, Cambridge (1886), III. 234. The Oriental Triposes attract a fair number of Candidates.
1905. Edin. Rev., Oct., 440. Not only had three new Triposes been established.
e. attrib., as tripos candidate; tripos day, (a) either of the two days on which the ‘Tripos’ disputed; (b) a day on which a tripos (examination) is held; tripos list, the list of successful candidates in a tripos; tripos paper, † (a) a paper containing the tripos list (obs.); (b) any one of the papers of questions set in a tripos (examination); tripos speech, the humorous or satirical speech delivered by the ‘Tripos’; tripos verses (see b above).
1904. Expositor, March, 219. He develops into a *Tripos candidate.
1842. *Tripos day [see 2 d].
1847. Webster, s.v. Tripos-paper, Tripos day, *tripos examination.
1901. Q. Rev., April, 598. His ordinary *‘tripos’ lectures kept strictly to business.
1841. Peacock, Stat. Cambr., 75, note. The earliest *Tripos list which appears in the Cambridge Calendar is for the year 1753.
1818. Macaulay, in Life & Lett. Z. Macaulay xi. (1900), 343. Desirous to return loaded with medals or distinguished on the *tripos-paper.
1876. L. Stephen, Eng. Th. 18th C., II. XII. vi. 360. He seems to have been suspended from his degree for a *tripos speech.
1828. Gunning, Ceremonies Cambr., 84, note. First Tripos. The Writers of the *Tripos Verses.
