Definition

1. Noun:

   • An educational institution: A place where people, especially children, go to learn under the instruction of teachers.
   • The students and staff of such an institution: The collective body of pupils and teachers at an educational institution.
   • A period of instruction: The time during which classes are held at an educational institution.
   • A building or group of buildings used for education: The physical structure housing an educational institution.
   • A group of people sharing similar ideas or methods: A group of artists, thinkers, or writers linked by a common style, philosophy, or teacher.
   • A large group of fish or sea mammals: A large group of aquatic animals of the same kind swimming together.

2. Verb:

   • To educate or train: To teach, discipline, or train someone, often in a formal or rigorous way.
   • To swim in a school: (Of fish or sea mammals) to form or swim in a large, coordinated group.

Examples

• Noun:

  • The new school has excellent facilities for science. (The new educational institution has excellent facilities for science.)
  • The whole school attended the assembly. (All the students and staff of the institution attended the assembly.)
  • School starts at 8:30 a.m. (The period of instruction begins at 8:30 a.m.)
  • They are building a new school in our neighborhood. (They are constructing a new educational building in our neighborhood.)
  • He belongs to the Impressionist school of painting. (He is part of the group of artists sharing the Impressionist style.)
  • We saw a school of dolphins near the boat. (We saw a large group of dolphins swimming together near the boat.)

• Verb:

  • Parents school their children at home. (Parents educate their children at home.)
  • She schooled herself to remain calm. (She trained herself to remain calm.)
  • The fish were schooling around the coral reef. (The fish were swimming in a large group around the coral reef.)

Advanced Usage

• "Of the old school": Having traditional or old-fashioned attitudes, methods, or style.

  • My grandfather is a gentleman of the old school. (My grandfather is a man with traditional manners and values.)

• "To tell tales out of school": To reveal secrets or confidential information.

  • He was accused of telling tales out of school about the company's plans. (He was accused of revealing the company's confidential plans.)

Variants and Related Words

• Schooling (n): The education or training received at school; the act of teaching.

  • His formal schooling ended at age sixteen. (His formal education ended at age sixteen.)

• School (adj): Relating to school or education.

  • The school year begins in September. (The academic year begins in September.)

• Preschool (n): An educational institution for young children before they begin primary school. (Note: This is a compound word listed separately as a variant.)

• High school (n): A secondary school.

Synonyms

• Academy: An institution of higher learning or a specialized school.
• Institute: An organization created for a specific purpose, such as education or research.
• Educate: To provide instruction or training.
• Train: To teach a particular skill or type of behavior through practice and instruction.
• Shoal: A large group of fish. (Specific to the aquatic animal meaning)

Related Phrasal Verbs

• School in: To train or educate someone thoroughly in a particular subject.
  • He was schooled in the classics from a young age. (He was thoroughly educated in classical literature from a young age.)

Related Idioms

• The school of hard knocks: Learning through difficult life experiences rather than formal education.

  • He didn't go to college; he was educated in the school of hard knocks. (He learned through difficult real-world experiences.)

• To be a quick study / To learn at the school of life: To learn things very easily or through experience. (Note: This idiom uses "school" metaphorically.)

Noun

1. a large group of fish
   • a school of small glittering fish swam by
2. an educational institution's faculty and students
   • the school keeps parents informed
   • the whole school turned out for the game
3. the period of instruction in a school; the time period when school is in session
   • stay after school
   • he didn't miss a single day of school
   • when the school day was done we would walk home together
4. a body of creative artists or writers or thinkers linked by a similar style or by similar teachers
   • the Venetian school of painting
5. the process of being formally educated at a school
   • what will you do when you finish school?
6. a building where young people receive education
   • the school was built in 1932
   • he walked to school every morning
7. an educational institution
   • the school was founded in 1900

Verb

1. swim in or form a large group of fish
   • A cluster of schooling fish was attracted to the bait
2. teach or refine to be discriminative in taste or judgment
   • Cultivate your musical taste
   • Train your tastebuds
   • She is well schooled in poetry
3. educate in or as if in a school
   • The children are schooled at great cost to their parents in private institutions