1577, "to admit a student to a college by enrolling his name on the register," from M.L.
*matriculare "to register," from L.L.
matricula "public register," dim. of L.
matrix (gen.
matricis) "list, roll," also "sources, womb" (see
matrix). The connection of senses in the L. word seems to be via confusion of Gk.
metra "womb" (from
meter "mother") and an identical Gk. word meaning "register, lot." Evidently L.
matrix was used to translate both, though it originally only shared meaning with one.