From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.44 [gcide]:
Ignoramus \Ig'no*ra"mus\, noun [L., we are ignorant. See {Ignore}.]
1. (Law) 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.
2. (pl. {Ignoramuses}.) A stupid, ignorant person; a vain pretender to knowledge; a dunce.
An ignoramus in place and power. --South.
From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:
noun
1: an ignorant person [syn: {know nothing}, {uneducated person}]
From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:
67 Moby Thesaurus words for "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
From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:
IGNORAMUS, noun 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
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