Word definition: school

Etimology


From Middle English scole, from Old English scōl (“place of education”), from Proto-West Germanic *skōlā, from Late Latin schola, scola (“learned discussion or dissertation, lecture, school”), from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ, “spare time, leisure”), from Proto-Indo-European *seǵʰ- (“to hold, have, possess”). Doublet of schola and shul. Compare Old Frisian skūle, schūle (“school”) (West Frisian skoalle, Saterland Frisian Skoule), Dutch school (“school”), German Low German School (“school”), Old High German scuola (“school”), German Schule (“school”), Bavarian Schui (“school”), Old Norse skóli (“school”). Influenced in some senses by Middle English schole (“group of persons, host, company”), from Middle Dutch scole (“multitude, troop, band”). See school (“group”). Related also to Old High German sigi (German Sieg, “victory”), Old English siġe, sigor (“victory”).

noun


school (countable and uncountable, plural schools)

(Canada, US) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.

(Britain) An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university).

(UK) At Eton College, a period or session of teaching.

Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area.

An art movement, a community of artists.

(considered collectively) The followers of a particular doctrine; a particular way of thinking or particular doctrine; a school of thought.

The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution.

The room or hall in English universities where the examinations for degrees and honours are held.

The canons, precepts, or body of opinion or practice, sanctioned by the authority of a particular class or age.

An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.

Examples


Our children attend a public school in our neighborhood.

Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.

Synonyms: academy, college, university

One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools […] as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.

Divinity, history and geography are studied for two schools per week.

We are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music.

Synonyms: college, department, faculty, institute

The Barbizon school of painters were part of an art movement towards Realism in art, which arose in the context of the dominant Romantic movement of the time.

Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.

These economists belong to the monetarist school.

Let no man be less confident in his faith […] by reason of any difference of judgment , which is in the several schools of Christians.

I’ll see you after school.

He was a gentleman of the old school.

His face pale but striking, though not handsome after the schools.

Related words


hyponyms

See also Thesaurus:school

coordinate terms

(institution providing primary and secondary education): nursery school, kindergarten, college, polytechnic, university

verb


school (third-person singular simple present schools, present participle schooling, simple past and past participle schooled)

(transitive) To educate, teach, or train (often, but not necessarily, in a school).

(transitive) To defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson.

(transitive) To control, or compose, one’s expression.

Examples


Many future prime ministers were schooled in Eton.

A blind law graduate who put the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the test got schooled in federal court.

Two weeks later, the Cornhuskers put on their road whites again and promptly got schooled by miserable Iowa State in Ames. After the shocking loss […]

"You again?" Sandman demanded. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson.""This time I'm gonna school you."

Mr. Harris said he was confident he could go toe to toe with any skeptic; he bragged that he’d recently schooled some crypto haters from Vice News.

She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.

Etimology


From Middle English scole, schole (“group of persons, multitude, host, school of fish”), from Middle Dutch scole (“multitude, troop of people, swarm of animals”), from Old Dutch *scola, *skola (“troop, multitude”), from Frankish *skolu, from Proto-Germanic *skulō (“crowd”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)kʷel- (“crowd, people”). Cognate with Middle Low German schōle (“multitude, troop”), Old English scolu (“troop or band of people, host, multitude, school of fish”). Doublet of shoal.

noun


school (plural schools)

(collective) A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales.

A multitude.

Examples


The divers encountered a huge school of mackerel.

Synonym: shoal

verb


school (third-person singular simple present schools, present participle schooling, simple past and past participle schooled)

(intransitive, of fish) To form into, or travel in, a school.

Data provided by Wiktionary