frat n.
1. a college fraternity; also attrib.; thus frat house, frat-pin etc.
![[US]](/static/img/flags/us.png "United States") | Student Sl. in Cohen (1997) 7: Frat n. A fraternity; a member of a fraternity. | |
| Cornhusker 24 Nov. in DN IV:ii 129: Frats pledge unsuspecting Freshmen. | |
| Knocking the Neighbors 226: [He] could not quite make up his Mind whether to join a High School Frat or go on the stage. | |
| Arrowsmith 35: This ole frat’ll never have another goat like Fatty. | |
| Downfall 185: Morrison’s showing your frat-pin to the whole freshman class. | |
| (con. 1920s) Young Manhood in Studs Lonigan (1936) 354: The fellows in my frat [...] they’re all swell fellows. | |
 | ‘Double Feature’ in N.Y. Age 22 Jan. 7/1: [H]e is on the look out for a girl friend to go with his frat pin. | |
| Flash! (Wash., D.C.) 3 Jan. 18/2: Swing Sessions, an outgrowth of the currently popular music played by the ‘jam units’ have outmoded to an extent the former type of close ‘bunny-hug’ dancing that was the bane of frat house hops. | |
| (con. 1944) Naked and Dead 552: At the State University he is accepted in a good frat. | |
![[Can]](/static/img/flags/can.png "Canada") | Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (1964) 168: Every time they take him into one of their frat houses he practically licks their boots. | |
| One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding 9: It was the weekend of the big frat formal. | |
| Die Nigger Die! 16: My loyalty is to my Frat., God, and my country, in that order. | |
| Garden of Sand (1981) 430: Melding the high shriek of women [...] with the cracked ‘old boy’ baritones of college frat houses. | |
![[UK]](/static/img/flags/uk.png "United Kingdom") | Bad (1995) 20: Some flattop frat dude with a dumb look. | |
| Cat’s Eye (1989) 209: She goes to frat parties. | |
| Stormy Weather 7: Webo Drake glanced worriedly at his frat brother. | |
| Sleep with the Fishes 53: A notch up from beer slides at a frat wing-ding. | |
| My War (2006) 11: Joining the Marines was like joining a party frat with weapons. | |
| Rakim Told Me 119: Using a sample swiped from the Troggs’ frat rock evergreen ‘Wild Thing’ . | |
| Guardian G2 11 Mar. 5/1: A video surfaced of frat members singing a racist chant. |
2. (also frat boy, ...brother, ...bull, ...head, ...man) a member of a fraternity; thus non-frat.
| Student Sl. in Cohen (1997) 8: Frat (n.) A fraternity; a member of a fraternity . | |
| ‘College Words and Phrases’ in DN II:i 36: frat, n. A member of a fraternity. [Ibid.] 46: non-frat, n. One who is not a member of a fraternity. | |
| Ladies’ Home Journal Nov. 19/1: In the ‘co-ed’ ’varsities the ‘frats’ and sororities pair off just as brothers and sisters do in a large family [DA]. | |
| Arrowsmith 28: I’m going to expose Clawson even if he is a frat-brother of mine. | |
| Old Liberty (1962) 21: Say, swell. Or did we tongue it, big frat man? | |
| Getting Straight 84: Pete and I were old undergrad frat brothers. | |
| Spook who Sat by the Door (1972) 14: Where’d you go to school, man? [...] You frat? | |
| in Psychotic Reactions (1988) 33: Dope out with the gang, grass, speed, reds, Romilar, who cares, some frat bull’s gonna buy us beer. | |
| Campus Sl. Spring 2: frat – a male in a fraternity or in a military organization. | |
| Campus Sl. Oct. 4: frathead – stereotypic fraternity member. | |
| Homeboy 137: The largest of the frat boys [...] slung his drink at her. | |
| Shame the Devil 148: The Black Cat was [...] spartan like the old 9:30 but without the new 9:30’s frat-boy crowd. | |
| Stingray Shuffle 17: Frat brothers in a Jeep that said No Fear! | |
| Turning Angel 344: I’m going to give those frat boys the ride of their lives! | |
| Running the Books 55: She behaved like a frat boy, displayed little to no socialization. | |
| Sellout (2016) 8: Some buffed ancient Greek frat boy. | |
| (con. 1962) Enchanters 41: Frat boys golf-carted guests. |
In derivatives
(US campus) pertaining to fashions as espoused by a member of a fraternity.
| UNC-CH Campus Sl. 2011 4: FRATASTIC — fraternity + fantastic epitomizing the wardrobe and behavior associated with fraternity members: ‘He’s so fratastic in his silk bowtie and pastel shorts—and he’s probably wearing Vineyard Vines underwear.’ Also FRAT DADDY, FRAT STAR. |
(US campus) the world of fraternities.
| Ace Weekly 19 Aug. 🌐 The University’s expansion seems to have no bounds, and in this case, little public input. Many homes of historic value lie in the path of future fratdom. |
In compounds
(US campus) a derog. description of a typical fraternity member.
| Sl. U. 82: frat dick/frat fag member of fraternity who drinks a lot, womanizes, and has an elitist attitude about his fraternity. |
(US campus) a member of a fraternity.
| (con. WWII) Onionhead (1958) 27: Who the hell could compete with ninetypseve tuxedoed frat rats and a goddam horse? | |
| ‘Problems in the Study of Campus Sl.’ in AS XXXIX:2 118: One may mention cheat sheet ‘notes which a student illicitly brings to an examination’ and frat-rat ‘fraternity man’ (contemptuously viewed). | |
| (con. late 1940s) Tattoo (1977) 464: After consulatation one of the frat-rats called back, ‘OK’. | |
| Sl. U. 83: frat rat/frat brat/frat boy member of a fraternity. | |
| Campus Sl. Apr. | |
| Campus Sl. Apr. 3: frat star – male college student who dresses in accordance with the stereotype associated with fraternities. | |
| UNC-CH Campus Sl. Spring 2016 4: FRAT STAR — the epitome of fraternity culture: ‘That guy looks like he rolled out of a J. Crew catalog—a total frat star’. |
In phrases
(US campus) to dress and act like a fraternity member.
| Campus Sl. Apr. 2: frat-out – to dress in khaki pants, La Costa shirt, and topsiders while having short hair and no socks. |