school

school

See also: School and schööl

English

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

From Middle English scole, from Old English scōl (“place of education”), from Proto-West Germanic *skōlu, 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”), Low German School (“school”), Old High German scuola (“school”), German Schule (“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”).

Alternative forms

Noun

school (countable and uncountable, plural schools)

  1. (India, Canada, US) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.
    Synonyms: academy, college, university
    Our children attend a public school in our neighborhood.
    Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.
  2. (British) An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university).
    • 2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly‎[1], volume 189, number 6, archived from the original on 5 March 2016, page 1:
      One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools, said the report, 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. […] In Syria, 3,900 schools have been destroyed, damaged or occupied for purposes other than education since the start of the conflict over two years ago.
  3. (UK) At Eton College, a period or session of teaching.
    Divinity, history and geography are studied for two schools per week.
  4. Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area.
    Synonyms: college, department, faculty, institute
    We are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music.
  5. An art movement, a community of artists.
    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.
  6. (considered collectively) The followers of a particular doctrine; a particular way of thinking or particular doctrine; a school of thought.
    These economists belong to the monetarist school.
    • 1660, Jeremy Taylor, “Of the Nature, Excellencies, Uses and Intention of the Holy Sacrament of the Lords Supper. Sect[ion] V. Practical Conclusions from the Preceding Discourses.”, in The Worthy Communicant or A Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings Consequent to the Worthy Receiving of the Lords Supper […], London: […] R. Norton for John Martyn, James Allestry, and Thomas Dicas […], published 1661, →OCLC, pages 90–91:
      Let no man be leſſe confident in his holy faith […] by reason of any difference of judgement vvhich is in the ſeveral Schools of Chriſtians concerning the effects and conſequent bleſſings of this Sacrament.
    • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:
      Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.
  7. The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution.
    I’ll see you after school.
  8. The room or hall in English universities where the examinations for degrees and honours are held.
  9. The canons, precepts, or body of opinion or practice, sanctioned by the authority of a particular class or age.
    He was a gentleman of the old school.
    • 1883, Arthur Sherburne Hardy, But Yet a Woman:
      His face pale but striking, though not handsome after the schools.
  10. An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.
Hyponyms
Coordinate terms
Derived terms
Descendants
Translations

Verb

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

  1. (transitive) To educate, teach, or train (often, but not necessarily, in a school).
    Many future prime ministers were schooled in Eton.
    • 1620, Tho[mas] Dekker, “The Worme of Conscience”, in Dekker His Dreame. In Which, Beeing Rapt with a Poeticall Enthusiasme, the Great Volumes of Heauen and Hell to Him Were Opened, in Which He Read Many Wonderfull Things., London: Nicholas Okes, →OCLC, page 35:
      I tooke delights / In plucking Apples from t’Heſperian Trees, / Which Eating, I grew Learn’d: adde to All theſe / My Priuate Readings, which more School’d my Soule, / Then Tutors, when they ſternliest did Controll / With Frownes or Rods: […]
  2. (transitive) To defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson.
    • 1998 April 13, Leigh Jones, “National Bar Exam Methods Win in ADA Regulation Test”, in The Journal Record:
      A blind law graduate who put the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the test got schooled in federal court.
    • 2006, Steve Smith, Forever Red: Confessions of a Cornhusker Football Fan, page 67:
      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 […]
    • 2007, Peter David, Alvin Sargent, Spider-Man 3, Simon and Schuster, →ISBN, page 216:
      "You again?" Sandman demanded. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson."
      "This time I'm gonna school you."
    • 2022 March 31, David Yaffe-Bellany, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word With the Crypto Bros”, in The New York Times‎[2], →ISSN:
      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.
    • 2026 January 21, Julian Borger, “Trump’s rambling Davos speech rehashes warped ideas of US supremacy”, in The Guardian‎[3], →ISSN:
      The speech dwindled to a halt and there was a smattering of applause from a gathering that was glad just to have been schooled for admitting migrants into their country and backing renewable energy, rather than witnessing a full-on declaration of war on the stage in front of them.
  3. (transitive) To control, or compose, one’s expression.
    She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.
Derived terms
Translations

Etymology 2

    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 Proto-West Germanic *skulu (“troop, group”), 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.

    Alternative forms

    Noun

    school (plural schools)

    2. (collective) A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales.
      Synonym: shoal
      The divers encountered a huge school of mackerel.
    3. A multitude.
    Translations

    Verb

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

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

    Further reading

    Anagrams

    Dutch

    Pronunciation

    • IPA(key): /sxoːl/
    • Audio:(file)
    • Hyphenation: school
    • Rhymes: -oːl

    Etymology 1

    From Middle Dutch schôle, from Latin schola, from Ancient Greek σχολή (skholḗ). Doublet of skorro and sjoel.

    Noun

    school f (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)

    2. a school, educational institution that provides education, whether combined with research or not
      Synonym: (slang) skorro
    3. a thematic educational institute within a larger one, such as in a university for a single research field
    4. any organisation providing instruction
    5. a movement or stylistic trend
    Derived terms
    Descendants
    • Afrikaans: skool (see there for further descendants)
    • Berbice Creole Dutch: skul, sulu
    • Negerhollands: skoel, skool
    • Petjo: skola, sekola
    • → Aukan: sikoo
    • →? Caribbean Hindustani: skul
    • → Kwinti: skoro, skoo
    • → Lokono: sulu
    • → Papiamentu: skol, skool
    • → Saramaccan: sikoò
    • → Sranan Tongo: skoro
    • → Trió: sikora

    Etymology 2

    From Middle Dutch schōle, from Old Dutch *skola, from Proto-West Germanic *skolu, from Proto-West Germanic *skulu (“troop, group”).

    Noun

    school f (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)

    2. a crowd, group
    Derived terms

    Etymology 3

    See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

    Verb

    school

    1. singular past indicative of schuilen
    2. inflection of scholen:
      1. first-person singular present indicative
      2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
      3. imperative
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