A female student in her first year at a school, college, or university.
Gender-parallel formation to 'freshman,' combining 'fresh' (new) and 'woman' (female person). Emerged in the 20th century as women gained wider access to higher education and needed their own terminology rather than using the masculine 'freshman.'
The existence of 'freshwoman' is actually a relatively recent linguistic development—it shows how English adapts when social reality changes. Many universities didn't have gender-specific terms until women started attending in large numbers!
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