ignoramus

• POS: Noun
• HYPHEN: ig=no=ra=mus

CIDE DICTIONARY

ignoramus, n. [L., we are ignorant. See Ignore.].

•  We are ignorant; we ignore; -- being the word formerly written on a bill of indictment by a grand jury when there was not sufficient evidence to warrant them in finding it a true bill. The phrase now used is, “No bill,” “No true bill,” or “Not found,” though in some jurisdictions “Ignored” is still used.  Wharton (Law Dict. ). Burn.  [1913 Webster]
•  A stupid, ignorant person; a vain pretender to knowledge; a dunce.  [1913 Webster]

  "An ignoramus in place and power."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

ignoramus, n. (pl. ignoramuses) an ignorant person.

Etymology

L, = we do not know: in legal use (formerly of a grand jury rejecting a bill) we take no notice of it; mod. sense perh. from a character in Ruggle's Ignoramus (1615) exposing lawyers' ignorance

DEVIL DICTIONARY

ignoramus

n. A person unacquainted with certain kinds of knowledge familiar to yourself, and having certain other kinds that you know nothing about.

Dumble was an ignoramus,
Mumble was for learning famous.
Mumble said one day to Dumble:
"Ignorance should be more humble.
Not a spark have you of knowledge
That was got in any college."
Dumble said to Mumble: "Truly
You're self-satisfied unduly.
Of things in college I'm denied
A knowledge -- you of all beside."
Borelli

THESAURUS

ignoramus

abecedarian, alphabetarian, apprentice, articled clerk, ass, beginner, boot, born fool, buffoon, catechumen, clown, dabbler, debutant, dilettante, doodle, dullard, dullhead, dumbbell, dummkopf, dummy, dunce, egregious ass, entrant, figure of fun, fledgling, fool, freshman, greenhorn, greeny, idiot, illiterate, illiterati, inductee, initiate, jackass, know-nothing, lowbrow, lunatic, middlebrow, milksop, mooncalf, moron, neophyte, new boy, newcomer, no scholar, novice, novitiate, perfect fool, postulant, probationer, probationist, puddinghead, raw recruit, recruit, rookie, schmuck, simpleton, softhead, sop, stupid, stupid ass, tenderfoot, tomfool, tyro, unintelligentsia, zany

ROGET THESAURUS

ignoramus

Ignoramus

N ignoramus, dunce, wooden spoon, no scholar, (imbecility) 499 (folly) 501 moron, imbecile, idiot, fool, jerk, nincompoop, asshole, dilettante, sciolist, smatterer, dabbler, half scholar, charlatan, wiseacre, greenhorn, amateur, novice, tyro, numskull, lubber, fool, pedant, bookless, shallow, ignorant, a wit with dunces and a dunce with wits.