BACCALAU'REATE, noun [The first part of this word is from the same root as bachelor; or as Bailey supposes, from bacca, berry; and the latter part, from laurea, a laurel, from the practice of wearing a garland of bay berries.] The degree of bachelor of arts.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI