polytechnicsn.
/ˌpɒlᵻˈtɛknɪks/, U.S. /ˌpɑləˈtɛknɪks/ Now rare.
The mechanical arts or applied sciences collectively. Also: these as an area of study; a subject involving many arts or sciences.
ΘΚΠ
society > education > learning > study > subject or object of study > [noun] > specific subjects
modern languages1605
English1713
Celtic studies1781
religious studies1824
Eng. Lit.1834
polytechnics1850
business administration1852
Eng. Lang.1857
business studies1880
historiography1889
academic1898
peace studies1903
religious education1914
Asian studies1941
religious instruction1960
religious knowledge1961
black studies1968
media studies1968
gender studies1973
1850 J. Ogilvie Imperial Dict. Polytechnics, a term used on the Continent, particularly in Germany, for the science of all mechanical arts and skill, aided or unaided by machinery.
1854 Norton's Lit. Gaz. 1 Feb. 59 The third division of Sciences and Arts is that of Chemistry and Physics, to which, from the intimate relation it bears to them, may be added that of the useful arts or Polytechnics.
1890 Science 26 Sept. 176/2 Special courses of study were instituted in law, chemistry, engineering, polytechnics, and mining.
1929 H. E. Bliss Organization Knowl. & Syst. Sci. xv. 295 Technology is the systematic study of the application of scientific knowledge, especially physical, mechanical, and chemical, to constructive, fabricative, and productive art... Where many technologies applying several sciences are studied together the term polytechnics is appropriate.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
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n.1850