c1700 Dom. Details D. Hume (1843) 6 At this time, the 11th of March was solemnly keeped by the semies, in going to the foot-ball on the Borrow Moor.

1704 in W. Macgill Old Ross-shire & Scotl. (1909) I. 63 If he be readie for colledge to enter a semie and not com in this year.

a1705 J. Ray Itineraries in Select Remains (1760) 203 [At Glasgow] about 40 Students of the first Year, which they call Obedients [i.e. bejants]; near so many of the Second, which they call Semies.

1857 Clerk Maxwell in Life (1882) x. 296 Where Tertian and Semi are hot in dispute And the voice of the Magistrand never is mute.

1889 Univ. News Sheet (St. Andrews) 11 Jan. 7 With us at St. Andrews the words semi, tertian, and magistrand,..have long since entirely gone out of use.

1891 College Echoes (St. Andrews Univ.) 15 Jan. The present designations—Second-year man, Third-year man, and Fourth-year-man are colourless and awkward. Why should not Bejants become Semis, then Tertians, and close their career with the melancholy glory of Magistrand?

1884 A. Grant Story Univ. Edinb. I. 152 [c 1590] At the final examination..The Magistrands came before the Regents of the Bachelor, Semi-Bajan, and Bajan classes.

1843 Dom. Details D. Hume Notes p. xv The students of the second year continuing under the same regent, were called the semi class, or the semi-bachelors. [Note, Sometimes called the semi-bajan class.]

1695 in Fasti Aberd. (1854) 374 That none be admitted or received into the semi-class, but upon strict tryall of their proficiencie in the Greek tongue.

1688 in Dalzel Hist. Univ. Edinb. (1862) II. 197 If they find him to have any competent skill in the Greek language, they are to signify the same..unto the Semi Regent.

c1700 Dom. Details D. Hume (1843) 5 In my semie year I was boarded in one Mr. Nisbet's.

1912 R. Macaulay Views & Vagabonds xvi. 292 To settle down in the new semi and ‘do for’ her Ben,..what had heaven to offer more than that?

1939 R. Ferguson in Queen's Bk. of Red Cross 234 I wish my girl could see it, but..it might spoil her for a little semi on a housing estate.

1958 J. Symons Gigantic Shadow ii. 8 These were the moments when the watchers in their suburban semis wriggled most deliciously in their overstuffed armchairs.

1977 B. Pym Quartet in Autumn iii. 28 That house which, in the estate agents' language, was on its way to becoming a ‘twenty thousand semi’.

1927 N. Coward Sirocco ii. i. 38 Miss Johnson is wearing what might technically be described as a ‘semi’. Mrs Breeze is in a tea-gown.

1934 ‘C. L. Anthony’ Touch Wood ii. ii. 57 Mrs McCrossan and Mr Berridge enter. Mrs McCrossan is in her semi.

1931 Economist 5 Dec. 1054/2 If Continental exporters of ‘semis’..feel that a high tariff is likely to be imposed in the..Budget, steel imports..are likely to increase.

1950 Engineering 21 July 59/2 Home produced steel semies are reaching the re-rolling mills in very large quantities.

1975 ‘D. Jordan’ Black Acct. xii. 62 Have you ever thought that the next stage would be a semis plant?

1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §643/6 Next to last event…semi.

1976 Star (Sheffield) 29 Oct. 2/5 Last heat of the TV sheepdog trials and it's no secret that Scotland meet England West in the first semi.

1942 L. V. Berrey & M. Van den Bark Amer. Thes. Slang §81/16 Semi,..a two-wheeled truck.

1961 Amer. Speech 36 272 It is common to call..a trailer a semi.

1968 J. M. Ullman Lady on Fire (1969) viii. 102 They..rolled past a row of semis lined up at an unloading dock.

1969 Northern Territory News (Darwin) (Focus '69 Suppl.) 97/2 The Stuart Highway..has become increasingly busy with road trains and semis to meet the needs of the increased population.

1976 B. Bova Multiple Man (1977) iv. 49 The Beltway..was almost always jammed with..heavy semis delivering the daily bread.

1975 Offshore Aug. 19/1 We will operate three semis of the Aker H-3... These rigs are well published in various publications.

1977 Offshore Engineer Apr. 51 (caption) Drillships closely follow semis in the oversupply stakes.