1. A number of people or things regarded as forming a group by reason of common attributes, characteristics, qualities, or traits; kind; sort.
2. A group of students meeting regularly to study a subject under the guidance of a teacher: "The class was ready for the quiz."
3. A meeting of a group of students for instruction.
4. A number of pupils in a school, or of students in a college, pursuing the same studies, ranked together, or graduated in the same year.
5. A social stratum sharing basic economic, political, or cultural characteristics, and having the same social position: "Politicians form a distinct class in some societies.
6. The system of dividing society; caste.
7. Social rank; especially, high rank.
8. The members of a given group in society, regarded as a single entity.
9. Any division of people or things according to rank or grade: "The book listed hotels by class, with the most luxurious ones listed first."
10. Excellence; exceptional merit.
11. any of several grades of accommodations available on ships, airplanes, and the such.
12. Informal, the best or among the best of its kind.
13. In biology, the classification of organisms, usually consisting of several orders.
14. The classes,the higher ranks of society, as distinguished from the masses.
15. Etymology: Latin classis originally denoted "the people of Rome under arms, the ancient Roman army".

Under the terms of the constitution attributed to Servius Tullius, a sixth-century B.C. King of Rome, the army and the people were divided into six classes, membership of each was based originally on the amount of land held and latterly on their wealth in monetary terms.

English first adopted the word in this antiquarian sense which provided the basis for the modern application to "social class", but its widespread use in the language probably began in the sense "group of pupils".

Of all the pictures that are being painted and exhibited, one from among them always has a chance of becoming a classic.

Here is a term with a slight touch of snobbery about it, because the roots of classic are in the Latin word classicus, which meant "of the first rank" and was applied to the upper and better classes of Rome.

A system of stratification defined by unequal access to economic resources and prestige, but permitting individuals to alter their current ranks.

1. A deep vein thrombosis (blood clot along the wall of a blood vessel), usually in the leg, caused by sitting immobile for long periods in a cramped aircraft seat.

Once movement begins again the clot can move to heart or lungs, causing rapid death.

2. A form of phlebitis (inflammation of a vein) in which a blood clot forms in the lower leg after prolonged immobility in a cramped space; such as, traveling in a confined space, like a coach seat on a crowded air flight.

It is known as economy class syndrom because so many travelers are turning up with phlebitis.