alma
n. countablen. the school, college, or university that you graduated from. It can also refer to the official song of that school.
n. the educational institution which one has attended or from which one has graduated. Often used in the Latin phrase 'alma mater' to signify the nurturing role of the school.
She returned to her alma mater to give a speech.
The alumni association invited former students back to their alma mater for the fiftieth anniversary celebration.
While the term technically refers to the institution itself, many graduates feel a deep emotional connection to their alma mater, viewing it as the intellectual cradle of their professional lives.
Usually explained as Latin alma (“nourishing, kind”). It has also been used as a short form of Germanic compound names beginning with the element Amal-, as in Amelia.
Frequently appears as part of the compound noun 'alma mater'.