What is the acronym alum?

“Alumni” and “Alums” As the need for gender-neutral words has increased, many colleges and universities have begun using the abbreviations “alum” and “alums” to designate all alumni regardless of gender, rather than the standard “alumnus/a/i/ae.”

What does the acronym alum stand for?

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.

How do you use alum in a sentence?

Examples of alum

The two alums well remember the pain that hit the community in those times. Then, there are the few prominent alums who never became big donors. There's not a hotel in this city that doesn't have alum from the program working for it.

Is alum a formal word?

The word “alum” is an informal reference to either a male or female graduate.

How do you abbreviate aluminum?

Abbreviation: alum.; Symbol: Al; atomic weight: 26.98; atomic number: 13; specific gravity: 2.70 at 20°C.

Alum | what is ALUM meaning

What is the slang for aluminium?

The slang or colloquial term tinnie or tinny has a variety of meanings, generally derived from some association with the metal tin, or aluminium foil which has a loose allusion to tin.

Why does aluminum have two names?

The term aluminum was created by the man who first identified the existence of the element, British chemist Humphry Davy. Davy originally referred to the element as alumium but ultimately altered the name to aluminum. The term aluminium emerged around the same time as Davy's aluminum.

Is alum short for aluminum?

Alum is a compound that contains aluminum. In cosmetics, alum usually refers to potassium alum, which has astringent and antibacterial properties.

What is the full name for alum?

Aluminium sulphate is the chemical name of 'Alum'. An alum is a type of chemical compound, usually a hydrated double sulfate salt of aluminium with general formula XAl(SO ₄) ₂·12H ₂O.

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 alum grammatically correct?

Alum and its plural, alums, can refer to pupils of either gender. While they are informal terms, they are accepted by several major style guides. Alum = a former pupil of any gender. Alums = former pupils of any gender.

Is alum proper usage?

An alumnus is one male graduate. An alumna is one female graduate. And for a group of female graduates, you can use the plural alumnae. Finally, alum is for one non-gender specific graduate and alums is a gender-neutral group of graduates.

Is it aluminum or alum?

The Origins of the Element's Name. The earliest use of the element aluminum dates back to the early middle ages, in the form of a chemical compound named Alum, which was used for dyeing, medicine, and as a fire-resistant coating. Alum is a sulfate salt of aluminum, but the existence of the metal was unknown at the time ...

What is a synonym for the word alum?

Definitions of alum. a person who has received a degree from a school (high school or college or university) synonyms: alumna, alumnus, grad, graduate.

How do you write alum?

“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.

What does alum status mean?

Member of a fraternity/sorority who has graduated; plural is alumni/alumnae. Big Brother/Sister. An older member assigned to assist a new member or associate member.

What are the two types of alum?

What is an alum 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.

What is the difference between alum and 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.

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.

What is a male alum called?

Traditionally, "alumnus" refers specifically to a singular male graduate and "alumni" is the plural form for a group of male graduates and for a group of male and female graduates. Meanwhile, the term for singular female graduates is the lesser spotted "alumna", and "alumnae" refers to a group of female-only graduates.

Why do British people say aluminum wrong?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary English chemist Sir Humphry Davy named the element alumium in 1808 and then changed it to aluminum in 1812. British editors changed it to aluminium to be more in keeping with other elements such as potassium and sodium, while the Americans retained the spelling as aluminum.

Why do Americans say aluminum?

Aluminium was favoured by academics for it's classical sounding name, that fit with other elements like sodium and potassium – but the huge gap from discovery and initial naming to the final form of aluminium was significant enough to allow aluminum to prevail in American English.

Does aluminum get rusty?

While aluminium doesn't rust, it does corrode. The aluminium oxide coating is highly resistant and renews itself if damaged keeping the metal relatively safe from corrosion. But some factors can cause the coat to become unstable, thus exposing the metal.

Why do people say aluminum wrong?

According to the Online Etymology Dictionary English chemist Sir Humphry Davy named the element alumium in 1808 and then changed it to aluminum in 1812. British editors changed it to aluminium to be more in keeping with other elements such as potassium and sodium, while the Americans retained the spelling as aluminum.