curriculum
Meaning
the subjects comprising a course of study in a school or college.
the regular activities and experiences that form part of a child's life or education.
Structure
Usage
the school is reviewing its science curriculum to include more practical experiments.
extracurricular activities are an important part of a student's overall curriculum.
the curriculum vitae provides a summary of a person's educational and professional history.
Etymology
the word curriculum entered english in the early 19th century directly from modern latin, where it meant 'a course, a running'. its core is the latin verb 'currere' (to run), a descendant of the proto-indo-european root kers- (to run). the suffix -iculum forms nouns denoting an instrument or a place for an action. thus, the literal sense is 'a course to be run' or 'a racecourse'. this metaphor of a prescribed path evolved logically from the physical act of running a race to the abstract concept of a planned sequence of educational subjects or life experiences one progresses through.
Analysis
curr is from latin 'currere', meaning 'to run'. iculum is a latin noun-forming suffix indicating an instrument or means.