The graduating student with the second highest academic rank

• Delivers the opening address at graduation exercises

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1841, American English, from salutatory "of the nature of a salutation," here in the specific sense "designating the welcoming address given at a college commencement" (1702) + -ian . The address was originally usually in Latin and given by the second-ranking ...

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the graduating student with the second highest academic rank; delivers the opening address at graduation exercises [syn: salutatory speaker ]

The Collaborative International Dictionary Word definitions in The Collaborative International Dictionary
Salutatorian \Sa*lu`ta*to"ri*an\, n. The student who pronounces the salutatory oration at the annual Commencement or like exercises of a college, -- an honor commonly assigned to that member of the graduating class who ranks second in scholarship. [U.S.]

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. (context US English) The person who graduates high school with the second highest GPA and thus gets to give a salutatorian’s address during the graduation ceremony.

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Salutatorian is an academic title given in the United States and Philippines to the second-highest graduate of the entire graduating class of a specific discipline. Only the valedictorian is ranked higher. This honor is traditionally based on grade point ...