First Known Use: before 12th century
Dictionary
1school
noun \ˈskül\
Definition of SCHOOL
1
: an organization that provides instruction: as a : an institution for the teaching of children b : college, university c (1) : a group of scholars and teachers pursuing knowledge together that with similar groups constituted a medieval university (2) : one of the four faculties of a medieval university (3) : an institution for specialized higher education often associated with a university <the school of engineering> d : an establishment offering specialized instruction <a secretarial school> <driving schools>
2
a (1) : the process of teaching or learning especially at a school (2) : attendance at a school (3) : a session of a school b : a school building c : the students attending a school; also : its teachers and students
3
: a source of knowledge <experience was his school>
4
a : a group of persons who hold a common doctrine or follow the same teacher (as in philosophy, theology, or medicine) <the Aristotelian school>; also : the doctrine or practice of such a group b : a group of artists under a common influence c : a group of persons of similar opinions or behavior; also : the shared opinions or behavior of such a group <other schools of thought>
5
: the regulations governing military drill of individuals or units; also : the exercises carried out <the school of the soldier>
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Origin of SCHOOL
Middle English scole, from Old English scōl, from Latin schola, from Greek scholē leisure, discussion, lecture, school; perhaps akin to Greek echein to hold — more at scheme
Other Education Terms
2school
transitive verb
Definition of SCHOOL
1
a : to teach or drill in a specific knowledge or skill <well schooled in languages> b : to discipline or habituate to something <school oneself in patience>
2
: to educate in an institution of learning
First Known Use of SCHOOL
15th century
Synonym Discussion of SCHOOL
teach, instruct, educate, train, discipline, school mean to cause to acquire knowledge or skill. teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn <taught us a lot about our planet>. instruct suggests methodical or formal teaching <instructs raw recruits in military drill>. educate implies development of the mind <more things than formal schooling serve to educate a person>. train stresses instruction and drill with a specific end in view <trained foreign pilots to operate the new aircraft>. discipline implies training in habits of order and precision <a disciplined mind>. school implies training or disciplining especially in what is hard to master <schooled the horse in five gaits>.
Other Education Terms
3school
noun
Definition of SCHOOL
: a large number of fish or aquatic animals of one kind swimming together
Origin of SCHOOL
Middle English scole, from Middle Dutch schole; akin to Old English scolu multitude and probably to Old English scylian to separate — more at skill
First Known Use: 15th century
4school
intransitive verb
Definition of SCHOOL
: to swim or feed in a school <bluefish are schooling>
First Known Use of SCHOOL
1597
SCHOOL Defined for Kids
1school
noun \ˈskül\
Definition of SCHOOL for Kids
1
: a place for teaching and learning
2
: a session of teaching and learning <night school> <You'll be late for school.>
3
4
: the teachers and pupils of a school <The entire school was at the rally.>
5
: a group of persons who share the same opinions and beliefs <a new school of philosophy>
Word History of SCHOOL
You may not think of your education as relaxation, but, believe it or not, the word school can be traced back to a Greek word meaning “leisure.” Ancient Greek scholē, “rest, leisure,” came to be applied to the philosophical discussions in which the best of Greek society spent their free time (of which they had a great deal, since slaves did most of the real work). The meaning of scholē was extended to the groups who listened to a particular philosopher, and later to the set of beliefs held by such a group. When Latin schola was borrowed from Greek, the emphasis fell more on the place where a philosopher spoke, and it is the sense “place of instruction” that was ultimately passed to English.
2school
verb
schooledschool·ing
3school
noun
Definition of SCHOOL for Kids
: a large number of one kind of fish or water animals swimming together
Word History of SCHOOL
A group of fish is called a school not because they resemble students in a classroom. The word school in this sense is borrowed from a Dutch word that means “crowd” or “throng.”
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