beginner
- 01 A2 Elementary
someone who is just starting to learn a skill or hobby.
a person who has just begun to learn a skill or participate in an activity; a novice.
Simple“The yoga class is perfect for a beginner because the teacher explains every move slowly.”
In context“Even a complete beginner can produce a functional piece of pottery during the introductory weekend workshop provided they follow the basic safety protocols.”
- 02 C1 Advanced
an actor who needs to be on stage at the very start of a play or a scene.
an actor who is present on stage at the commencement of a performance or act.
Simple“The stage manager called 'beginners to the stage' five minutes before the curtain went up.”
In context“The director spent the final dress rehearsal ensuring that the beginners were correctly positioned behind the curtain to avoid any shadows being cast.”
UsageOften used in the plural 'beginners' as a call from the stage manager.
Teacher's tipThis is a highly specialised term; outside of a theatre, 'beginner' always refers to a novice.
From Middle English begynner, equivalent to begin + -er. Cognate with West Frisian begjinner (“beginner”), Dutch beginner (“beginner”), Low German begünner (“beginner”), Danish nybegynder (“beginner, novice”, literally “new-beginner”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.