school

noun

1. (Canada, India, US, countable, uncountable)An institution dedicated to teaching and learning; an educational institution.

   “Our children attend a public school in our neighborhood.”

   “Harvard University is a famous American postsecondary school.”

2. (British, countable, uncountable)An educational institution providing primary and secondary education, prior to tertiary education (college or university).

   “One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools, said the report, 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. […] In Syria, 3,900 schools have been destroyed, damaged or occupied for purposes other than education since the start of the conflict over two years ago.”

3. (UK, countable, uncountable)At Eton College, a period or session of teaching.

   “Divinity, history and geography are studied for two schools per week.”

4. (countable, uncountable)Within a larger educational institution, an organizational unit, such as a department or institute, which is dedicated to a specific subject area.

   “We are enrolled in the same university, but I attend the School of Economics and my brother is in the School of Music.”

5. (countable, uncountable)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.”

6. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “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.”

   “Here the stripped panelling was warmly gold and the pictures, mostly of the English school, were mellow and gentle in the afternoon light.”

7. (countable, uncountable)The time during which classes are attended or in session in an educational institution.

   “I’ll see you after school.”

8. (countable, uncountable)The room or hall in English universities where the examinations for degrees and honours are held.
9. (countable, uncountable)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.”

   “His face pale but striking, though not handsome after the schools.”

10. (countable, uncountable)An establishment offering specialized instruction, as for driving, cooking, typing, coding, etc.
11. (collective)A group of fish or a group of marine mammals such as porpoises, dolphins, or whales.

    “The divers encountered a huge school of mackerel.”

12. A multitude.

verb

1. (transitive)To educate, teach, or train (often, but not necessarily, in a school).

   “Many future prime ministers were schooled in Eton.”

   “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: […]”

2. (transitive)To defeat emphatically, to teach an opponent a harsh lesson.

   “A blind law graduate who put the National Conference of Bar Examiners to the test got schooled in federal court.”

   “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 […]”

   “"You again?" Sandman demanded. "I guess you didn't learn your lesson." "This time I'm gonna school you."”

   “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.”

   “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.”

3. (transitive)To control, or compose, one’s expression.

   “She took care to school her expression, not giving away any of her feelings.”

4. (intransitive)To form into, or travel in, a school.