Senses
贡士/ 貢士 successful national candidate
(literary) A candidate who passed the metropolitan level of the imperial civil service exams but had not yet taken the final palace exam 殿试
贡士/ 貢士 to recommend scholars
(literary) to recommend scholars of high moral and scholastic standing to the imperial court under ancient recruitment systems
贡士/ 貢士 recommended scholar
(literary) a scholar recommended to the imperial court under ancient recruitment systems predating the Ming and Qing examination structure