school

Etymology 1

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 school₁. Related also to Old High German sigi (German Sieg, “victory”), Old English siġe, sigor (“victory”).

noun

1. (Canada, US) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.
   Our children attend a public school in our neighborhood.
   Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.
2. (Britain) An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or 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. 2013-07-19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1
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.
   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.
   Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light. 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 3, in The China Governess
   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. 1660, Jeremy Taylor, The Worthy Communicant; or a Discourse of the Nature, Effects, and Blessings consequent to the worthy receiving of the Lords Supper
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.
   His face pale but striking, though not handsome after the schools. 1883, Arthur Sherburne Hardy, But Yet a Woman
10. An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.

verb

1. (transitive) To educate, teach, or train (often, but not necessarily, in a school).
   Many future prime ministers were schooled in Eton.
2. (transitive) To defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson.
   A blind law graduate who put the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the test got schooled in federal court. April 13, 1998, Leigh Jones, “National Bar Exam Methods Win in ADA Regulation Test”, in The Journal Record
   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 […] 2006, Steve Smith, Forever Red: Confessions of a Cornhusker Football Fan, page 67
   "You again?" Sandman demanded. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson." "This time I'm gonna school you." 2007, Peter David, Alvin Sargent, Spider-Man 3, Simon and Schuster, page 216
   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. 2022-03-31, David Yaffe-Bellany, “Ben McKenzie Would Like a Word With the Crypto Bros”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
3. (transitive) To control, or compose, one’s expression.
   She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.

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 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

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

verb

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