ap·pren·tice

[uh-pren-tis] noun, verb, ap·pren·ticed, ap·pren·tic·ing.
noun
1.
a person who works for another in order to learn a trade: an apprentice to a plumber.
2.
History/Historical. a person legally bound through indenture to a master craftsman in order to learn a trade.
3.
a learner; novice; tyro.
4.
U.S. Navy. an enlisted person receiving specialized training.
5.
a jockey with less than one year's experience who has won fewer than 40 races.
verb (used with object)
6.
to bind to or place with an employer, master craftsman, or the like, for instruction in a trade.
00:10
Apprentice is one of our favorite verbs.
So is subtilize. Does it mean:
to introduce subtleties into or argue subtly about.
to chew (food) slowly and thoroughly.
verb (used without object)
7.
to serve as an apprentice: He apprenticed for 14 years under a master silversmith.

Origin:
1300–50; Middle English ap(p)rentis < Anglo-French, Old French ap(p)rentiz < Vulgar Latin *apprenditīcius, equivalent to *apprendit(us) (for Latin apprehēnsus; see apprehensible) + Latin -īcius suffix forming adjectives from past participles, here nominalized

ap·pren·tice·ship, noun
un·ap·pren·ticed, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To apprentice
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World English Dictionary
apprentice (əˈprɛntɪs) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  someone who works for a skilled or qualified person in order to learn a trade or profession, esp for a recognized period
2.  any beginner or novice
 
vb
3.  (tr) to take, place, or bind as an apprentice
 
[C14: from Old French aprentis, from Old French aprendre to learn, from Latin apprehendere to apprehend]
 
ap'prenticeship
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

apprentice
c.1300, from O.Fr. aprentiz "someone learning" (13c.), from aprendre (Mod.Fr. apprendre) "to learn, teach," contracted from L. apprehendere (see apprehend). Aphetic form prentice was long more usual in English. The verb is first attested 1630s.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
Look up, print and/or download apprentice rates by trade, county and program.
He worked full-time as an apprentice painter but chipped in very little for
  household expenses.
At the same time, he sought to learn about film by working as an apprentice to
  several filmmakers.
The author did his best to apprentice himself to every one of them.
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