Oxbridge is a portmanteau of the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. The term is used to refer to them collectively in contrast to other British universities and more broadly to describe characteristics reminiscent of them, often with implications of superior social or intellectual status. 

This term is relatively recent. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, it was first mentioned in William Thackeray's novel Pendennis (1849). This literary work also introduces the term Camford as another combination of the university names. However, the term is not as popular as Oxbridge.