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school¹

(skl)

1. An institution for the instruction of children or people under college age.

2. An institution for instruction in a skill or business: a secretarial school; a karate school.

a. A college or university.

b. An institution within or associated with a college or university that gives instruction in a specialized field and recommends candidates for degrees.

c. A division of an educational institution constituting several grades or classes: advanced to the upper school.

d. The student body of an educational institution.

e. The building or group of buildings housing an educational institution.

4. 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?

5. A session of instruction: School will start in three weeks. He had to stay after school today.

a. 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.

b. A group of people distinguished by similar manners, customs, or opinions: aristocrats of the old school.

7. Close-order drill instructions or exercises for military units or personnel.

8. Australian A group of people gathered together for gambling.

tr.v. schooled, school·ing, schools

1. To educate in or as if in a school.

2. To train or discipline: She is well schooled in literature. See Synonyms at teach.

3. Slang To defeat or put down decisively, especially in a humiliating manner: Our team got schooled by the worst team in the division.

adj.

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; see segh- in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

school²

(skl)

A large group of aquatic animals, especially fish, swimming together; a shoal.

intr.v. schooled, school·ing, schools

To swim in or form into a school.

[Middle English scole, from Middle Dutch; see skel-¹ in the Appendix of Indo-European roots.]

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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