coed
coed Lexical Profile
coed Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Educating or open to both male and female students or participants.
"The university converted several traditional single-sex residence halls into coed dormitories."
• noun
North American A female student attending a coeducational college or university.
"In mid-twentieth-century campus novels, the protagonist was often a bright young coed navigating university life."
Word Nuance & Usage
While using 'coed' as an adjective to describe mixed-gender dormitories, sports teams, or schools remains standard, using it as a noun to refer specifically to a female college student is dated and often considered condescending.
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Shortened in late 19th-century American English from 'coeducational', reflecting the era when formerly all-male universities first began admitting female students.