From Middle Englishscole, from Old Englishscōl(“place of education”), from Proto-West Germanic*skōlu, from Late Latinschola, scola(“learned discussion or dissertation, lecture, school”), from Ancient Greekσχολή(skholḗ, “spare time, leisure”), from Proto-Indo-European*seǵʰ-(“to hold, have, possess”). Doublet of schola and shul.
Compare Old Frisianskūle, schūle(“school”) (West Frisianskoalle, Saterland FrisianSkoule), Dutchschool(“school”), German Low GermanSchool(“school”), Old High Germanscuola(“school”), GermanSchule(“school”), Old Norseskóli(“school”).
Influenced in some senses by Middle English schole(“group of persons, host, company”), from Middle Dutchscole(“multitude, troop, band”). See school(“group”). Related also to Old High Germansigi(GermanSieg, “victory”), Old Englishsiġe, sigor(“victory”).
Alternative forms
[edit]
schole(obsolete)
Noun
[edit]
school (countable and uncountable, plural schools)
(India, Canada, US) An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution. Synonyms:academy, college, universityOur children attend a public school in our neighborhood.Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.
(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, volume 189, number 6, page 1: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.
(UK) At Eton College, a period or session of teaching. Divinity, history and geography are studied for two schools per week.
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, instituteWe are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music.
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.
(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.
The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution. I’ll see you after school.
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. 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.
An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.
Hyponyms
[edit]
See also Thesaurus:school
Coordinate terms
[edit]
(institution providing primary and secondary education): nursery school, kindergarten, college, polytechnic, university
an establishment offering specialized instruction (driving etc.)
Bulgarian: шко́ла (bg)f(škóla)
Hungarian: iskola (hu), (in compounds)képző (hu)
Korean: 학원(學院) (ko)(hagwon)
Middle English: scole
Polish: szkoła (pl)f
Russian: шко́ла (ru)f(škóla)
Verb
[edit]
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). 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:[…]
(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[1], →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[2], →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.
(transitive) To control, or compose, one’s expression. She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.
to defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson — see humiliate
Etymology 2
[edit]
From Middle Englishscole, schole(“group of persons, multitude, host, school of fish”), from Middle Dutchscole(“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 Germanschōle(“multitude, troop”), Old Englishscolu(“troop or band of people, host, multitude, school of fish”). Doublet of shoal.
Alternative forms
[edit]
skull (obsolete)
Noun
[edit]A school (etymology 2 sense 1) of fish
school (plural schools)
(collective) A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales. Synonym:shoalThe divers encountered a huge school of mackerel.
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.
Further reading
[edit]
school on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
school (fish) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
school (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
Anagrams
[edit]
cholos
Dutch
[edit]
Pronunciation
[edit]
IPA(key): /sxoːl/
Audio:
(file)
Hyphenation: school
Rhymes: -oːl
Etymology 1
[edit]
From Middle Dutchschôle, from Latinschola, from Ancient Greekσχολή(skholḗ). Doublet of skorro and sjoel.
Noun
[edit]
schoolf (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)
a school, educational institution that provides education, whether combined with research or not Synonym:(slang)skorro
a thematic educational institute within a larger one, such as in a university for a single research field
any organisation providing instruction
a movement or stylistic trend
Derived terms
[edit]
avondschool
basisschool
dansschool
hogeschool
kleuterschool
kweekschool
lagere school
leerschool
middelbare school
muziekschool
rijschool
scholen
school met de Bijbel
school-tv
schoolarts
schoolbank
schoolboek
schoolbord
schooldag
schoolfeest
schoolgemeenschap
schoolhuis
schoolinspectie
schooljaar
schooljongen
schooljuf
schoolkind
schoolkrijt
schoolleiding
schoolmeester
schoolmelk
schoolplein
schoolradio
schoolschrift
schooltas
schooltelevisie
schooluniform
schoolvakantie
schoolvos
schoolwerk
schoolziek
sportschool
toneelschool
Descendants
[edit]
Afrikaans: skool
→ Northern Ndebele: isikolo
→ Nǀuu: skoolsi, skualsi
→ Sotho: sekolo
→ Southern Ndebele: isikolo
→ Shona: chikoro(through a Nguni intermediate)
→ Tsonga: xikolo
→ Venda: tshikolo
→ Xhosa: isikolo
→ Zulu: isikole
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
→ Dutch: skorro
→ Wayana: sikoro
→ Trió: sikora
Etymology 2
[edit]
From Middle Dutchschōle, from Old Dutch*skola, from Proto-West Germanic*skolu, from Proto-Germanic*skulō, from Proto-Indo-European*(s)kʷel-(“crowd, people”).
Noun
[edit]
schoolf (plural scholen, diminutive schooltje n)
a school, group of fish or other aquatic animals
Derived terms
[edit]
samenscholen
Etymology 3
[edit]
See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.
Verb
[edit]
school
singular past indicative of schuilen
inflection of scholen:
first-person singular present indicative
(in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
school on Wikipedia.Wikipedia 