2. A university examination of questionists, for honors;
also, a tripos paper; one who prepares a tripos paper.
[Cambridge University, Eng.]
{Classical tripos examination}, the final university
examination for classical honors, optional to all who have
taken the mathematical honors. --C. A. Bristed.
{Tripos paper}, a printed list of the successful candidates
for mathematical honors, accompanied by a piece in Latin
verse. There are two of these, designed to commemorate the
two tripos days. The first contains the names of the
wranglers and senior optimes, and the second the names of
the junior optimes. The word tripos is supposed to refer
to the three-legged stool formerly used at the
examinations for these honors, though some derive it from
the three brackets formerly printed on the back of the
paper. --C. A. Bristed.