frat-boy
UK[ˈfræt bɔɪ]US[ˈfræt bɔɪ]
n
a young man, typically a college student, who is a member of a fraternity and whose behavior is characterized by boisterous, immature, and often privileged or sexist attitudes.
Morpheme Breakdown
frat
boy
frat
fraternity
boy
young male
Etymology
the term is a modern american english compound, formed in the mid-20th century. the first element, 'frat', is a colloquial clipping of 'fraternity', which itself derives from latin 'fraternitas', meaning 'brotherhood', rooted in 'frater' (brother). the second element, 'boy', of uncertain but likely germanic origin, denotes a young male. the compound literally means "fraternity boy," but its semantic evolution has been heavily influenced by cultural stereotypes. it now carries a specific connotation, moving from a neutral descriptor to a label for a perceived social type associated with collegiate brotherhoods, embodying behaviors like rowdiness, conformity, and entitlement.
Analysis
Structure: frat (fraternity) + boy (young male)
frat: from latin 'frater' meaning 'brother'; a clipped form of 'fraternity', serving as a combining form.
boy: from middle english 'boy, boi', likely of anglo-french or germanic origin, meaning a young male person; serves as the head noun.
Examples
his frat-boy antics during the game got him ejected from the stadium.
the movie satirizes the wealthy frat-boy culture of elite universities.
she was tired of the frat-boy humor that dominated the office party.