n.
- An institution for the instruction of children or people under college age.
- An institution for instruction in a skill or business: a secretarial school; a karate school.
- A college or university.
- An institution within or associated with a college or university that gives instruction in a specialized field and recommends candidates for degrees.
- A division of an educational institution constituting several grades or classes: advanced to the upper school.
- The student body of an educational institution.
- The building or group of buildings housing an educational institution.
- The process of being educated formally, especially education constituting a planned series of courses over a number of years: The children were put to school at home. What do you plan to do when you finish school?
- A session of instruction: School will start in three weeks. He had to stay after school today.
- A group of people, especially philosophers, artists, or writers, whose thought, work, or style demonstrates a common origin or influence or unifying belief: the school of Aristotle; the Venetian school of painters.
- A group of people distinguished by similar manners, customs, or opinions: aristocrats of the old school.
- Close-order drill instructions or exercises for military units or personnel.
- Australian. A group of people gathered together for gambling.
- To educate in or as if in a school.
- To train or discipline: She is well schooled in literature. See synonyms at teach.
Of or relating to school or education in schools: school supplies; a school dictionary.
[Middle English scole, from Old English scōl, from Latin schola, scola, from Greek skholē.]
school2 (skūl)
n.
A large group of aquatic animals, especially fish, swimming together; a shoal. See synonyms at flock1.
intr.v., schooled, school·ing, schools.
To swim in or form into a school.
[Middle English scole, from Middle Dutch.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
