school

I. school¹ S1 W1 /skuːl/ BrE AmE noun
[Word Family: noun: school, pre-school, schooling; verb: school; adjective: PRE-SCHOOL]
[Language: Old English; Origin: scol, from Latin schola, from Greek schole 'discussion, school']
1. WHERE CHILDREN LEARN [uncountable and countable] a place where children are taught:
His mother always used to pick him up from school.
2. TIME AT SCHOOL [uncountable]
a) a day’s work at school:
School begins at 8.30.
before/after school
I’ll see you after school.
b) the time during your life when you go to school:
He’s one of my old friends from school.
Children start school between the ages of four and five.
3. UNIVERSITY [uncountable and countable]
a) American English a college or university, or the time when you study there:
Their kids are away at school now.
She was going to school in Boston.
b) a department or group of departments that teaches a particular subject at a university
school of
the Harvard School of Public Health
law/medical/business/graduate school
After two years of medical school, I thought I knew everything.
4. ONE SUBJECT [countable] a place where a particular subject or skill is taught:
a language school in Brighton
school of
Amwell School of Motoring
5. at school
a) in the school building:
I can get some work done while the kids are at school.
b) British English attending a school, rather than being at college or university or having a job:
We’ve got two children at school, and one at university.
6. in school
a) in the school building:
Sandra’s not in school today.
b) American English attending a school or university rather than having a job:
Are your boys still in school?
7. ART [countable] a number of people who are considered as a group because of their similar style of work:
the Impressionist school
8. school of thought an opinion or way of thinking about something that is shared by a group of people:
There are two main schools of thought on the subject.
9. of/from the old school with old-fashioned values or qualities:
a family doctor of the old school
10. FISH [countable] a large group of fish, ↑whales, ↑dolphins etc that are swimming together
school of
a school of whales
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ go to school Did you go to school in Paris?
▪ attend (a) school formal (=go to a school) Some of the children had not attended school very regularly before.
▪ start school Children in Britain start school when they are five.
▪ leave school He left school when he was 16.
▪ send somebody to school His parents sent him to a private school.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + school
▪ a state school British English, a public school American English (=a school that gets its money from the government) Universities want to encourage more applicants from state schools.
▪ a private school (also a public school British English) (=a school where students pay to study) He was educated at a private school.
▪ sb’s old school (=the school someone went to when they were young) He went back to his old school to give a talk to the children.
▪ a local school (=a school near where someone lives) They sent their kids to the local school.
▪ a boarding school (=a school where children also live and sleep)
▪ a day school (=a school where children go during the day but go home in the evenings) The school is both a boarding school and a day school.
▪ a nursery school (=for children under 5)
▪ an infant school British English (=for children aged 5 to 7)
▪ a primary school British English, an elementary school American English (=for children up to 11) Their children are still at primary school.
▪ a secondary school (also a high school British English) (=for children from 11 to 16 or 18)
▪ a high school American English (=a school for students aged 14 to 18)
▪ a comprehensive school British English (=a secondary school for all children)
▪ a grammar school British English (=a secondary school for children who have passed an exam when they are 11)
■ school + NOUN
▪ school students (also school pupils British English) Most school students have musical interests of some kind.
▪ a school friend She met some old school friends.
▪ a school uniform He was still wearing his school uniform.
▪ the school holidays British English The trip will take place during the school holidays.
▪ the school run British English (=the journey taking children to and from school each day) She had to be back in time for the school run.
▪ the school playground
▪ the school library
▪ the school hall
▪ the school bus
▪ the school curriculum Head teachers were asked to incorporate road safety education in the school curriculum.
▪ school meals/lunches (also school dinners British English) We provide good-quality school meals.
▪ a school governor British English (=an elected person who works with teachers to make decisions about how a school is organized) The school governors have appointed a new head teacher.
▪ the school board American English (=the group of people who are elected to govern a school or group of schools) The courts have upheld the school board's right to dismiss striking teachers.
▪ the school day Most children are tired at the end of the school day.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ of animals
▪ herd a group of cows, deer, or elephants: A herd of cows was blocking the road.
▪ team a group of people who work together: She is being cared for by a team of doctors.
▪ flock a group of sheep or birds: a flock of seagulls | The farmer has over 100 sheep in his flock.
▪ pack a group of dogs or wolves: Some dogs are bred to work in packs.
▪ litter a group of kittens or puppies born at one time to a particular mother: He was one of a litter of seven puppies.
▪ school/shoal a group of fish or dolphins: Piranha fish live in shoals in the wild.

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

school

school [school schools schooled schooling] noun, verb [skuːl] [skuːl]

noun

WHERE CHILDREN LEARN
1. countable a place where children go to be educated
• My brother and I went to the same school.
• (formal) Which school do they attend?
• I'm going to the school today to talk to Kim's teacher.
• We need more money for roads, hospitals and schools.

• school buildings

2. uncountable (used without the or a) the process of learning in a school; the time during your life when you go to a school: (BrE) to start/leave school
• (NAmE) to start/quit school
• Where did you go to school?
• (BrE) All my kids are still at school.
• (NAmE) All my kids are still in school.
• (NAmE) to teach school (= teach in a school)

• The transition from school to work can be difficult.

3. uncountable (used without the or a) the time during the day when children are working in a school
• Shall I meet you after school today?
• School begins at 9.
• The kids are at/in school until 3.30.

• after-school activities

STUDENTS AND TEACHERS

4. the school singular all the children or students and the teachers in a school

• I had to stand up in front of the whole school.

FOR PARTICULAR SKILL

5. countable (often in compounds) a place where people go to learn a particular subject or skill

• a drama/language/riding, etc. school

COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY

6. countable, uncountable (NAmE, informal) a college or university; the time that you spend there
• famous schools like Yale and Harvard
• Where did you go to school?

7. countable a department of a college or university that teaches a particular subject
• the business/medical/law school

• the School of Dentistry

OF WRITERS/ARTISTS

8. countable a group of writers, artists, etc. whose style of work or opinions have been influenced by the same person or ideas

• the Dutch school of painting

OF FISH

9. countable a large number of fish or other sea animals, swimming together
• a school of dolphins
compare shoal  There are many compounds ending in school. You will find them at their place in the alphabet.
more at one of the old school at old
Word Origin:
n. senses 1 to 8 and v. Old English scōl scolu Latin Greek skholē ‘leisure, philosophy, lecture-place’ Middle English Old French escole
n. sense 9 late Middle English Middle Low German Middle Dutch schōle West Germanic Old English scolu ‘troop’ shoal

Thesaurus:
school noun C
• My sister and I went to the same school.
academy • • college • • university • • seminary •
at/in school/college/university
at a/the school/academy/college/university/seminary
go to/attend school/an academy/college/university/a seminary
British/American:
at / in school
In BrE somebody who is attending school is at school: ▪ I was at school with her sister. In NAmE in school is used: ▪ I have a ten-year-old in school. In school in NAmE can also mean ‘attending a university’.
Collocations:
Education
Learning
acquire/get/lack (an) education/training/(BrE) (some) qualifications
receive/provide sb with training/tuition
develop/design/plan a curriculum/(especially BrE) course/(NAmE) program/syllabus
give/go to/attend a class/lesson/lecture/seminar
hold/run/conduct a class/seminar/workshop
sign up for/take a course/classes/lessons
School
go to/start preschool/kindergarten/nursery school
be in the first, second, etc. (NAmE) grade/(especially BrE) year (at school)
study/take/drop history/chemistry/German, etc.
(BrE) leave/finish/drop out of/ (NAmE) quit school
(NAmE) graduate high school/college
Problems at school
be the victim/target of bullying
(BrE) play truant from/ (both BrE, informal) bunk off/skive off school (= not go to school when you should)
(both especially NAmE) skip/cut class/school
(BrE) cheat in/(NAmE) cheat on an exam/a test
get/be given a detention (for doing sth)
be expelled from/be suspended from school
Work and exams
do your homework/(BrE) revision/a project on sth
work on/write/do/submit an essay/a dissertation/a thesis/an assignment/(NAmE) a paper
finish/complete your dissertation/thesis/studies/coursework
hand in/ (NAmE) turn in your homework/essay/assignment/paper
study/prepare/ (BrE) revise/ (NAmE) review/ (NAmE, informal) cram for a test/an exam
take/ (both BrE) do/sit a test/an exam
(especially BrE) mark/ (especially NAmE) grade homework/a test
(BrE) do well in/ (NAmE) do well on/ (informal, especially NAmE) ace a test/an exam
pass/fail/ (informal, especially NAmE) flunk a test/an exam/a class/a course/a subject
University
apply to/get into/go to/start college/(BrE) university
leave/graduate from law school/college/(BrE) university (with a degree in computer science)
study for/take/ (BrE) do/complete a law degree/a degree in physics
(both NAmE) major/minor in biology/philosophy
earn/receive/be awarded/get/have/hold a master's degree/a bachelor's degree/a PhD in economics
Grammar Point:
school
When a school is being referred to as an institution, you do not need to use the: ▪ When do the children finish school? When you are talking about a particular building, the is used: ▪ I’ll meet you outside the school. Prison, jail, court, and church work in the same way: ▪ Her husband spent three years in prison.
note at college, hospital
Example Bank:
• Are the children still in school?
• Eric is off school again.
• He runs a karate school in San Jose, California.
• He was expelled from school for verbally abusing his teacher.
• His mum kept him off school for two weeks when he was ill.
• It is a failing school with some of the worst results in the city.
• It was just a typical school day.
• My parents let me stay home from school yesterday.
• She attends a special school for children with learning difficulties.
• She didn't do very well at school.
• She teaches elementary school in Atlanta.
• She's a middle-school teacher.
• She's got four children of school age.
• The next day was Monday, a school day.
• Their son's at the school near the station.
• We're going to play football after school.
• You don't need to keep your child home from school because of a cough.
• a range of after-school activities
• school-age children
• the cleverest child in the school
• An announcement was made to the whole school
• His parents went to the school to talk to his teacher.
• I'll meet you outside the school.
• In Britain children start school when they are five.
• More money is needed for roads, hospitals and schools.
• My sister and I went to the same school.
• My younger son is still at school.
• She wants to go to drama school.
• The university has a school of dentistry.
• a language/riding school
• an elementary/a junior high/a high school
• an infant/a junior/a primary/a secondary school
• to teach school
• He had very little schooling.

Idiom: school of thought

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition

alma mater / ˌæl.məˈmɑː.tə r / / -ˈmeɪ.tə r / / -ˈmɑː.t̬ɚ / / ˌɑːl- / noun [ S ]

your alma mater

formal the school, college, or university where you studied

US the official song of a school, college, or university

school / skuːl / noun [ C , + sing/pl verb ] (GROUP)

a group of painters, writers, poets, etc. whose work is similar, especially similar to that of a particular leader:

the Flemish School

the Impressionist school of painting

Word partners for school

attend / go to school • begin / leave / start school • expel sb from / play truant from / skip school • teach at a school • a school assembly / bus / dinner / report

school / skuːl / noun [ C , + sing/pl verb ] (SEA CREATURES)

a large number of fish or other sea creatures swimming in a group:

a school of dolphins/whales

Word partners for school

attend / go to school • begin / leave / start school • expel sb from / play truant from / skip school • teach at a school • a school assembly / bus / dinner / report

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

school

[sku͟ːl]
♦
schools, schooling, schooled
1) N-VAR: usu prep N A school is a place where children are educated. You usually refer to this place as school when you are talking about the time that children spend there and the activities that they do there.
  ...a boy who was in my class at school...
  Even the good students say homework is what they most dislike about school...
  I took the kids for a picnic in the park after school.
  ...a school built in the Sixties...
  He favors extending the school day and school year.
  ...two boys wearing school uniform.
2) N-COUNT-COLL A school is the pupils or staff at a school.
  Deirdre, the whole school's going to hate you.
  ...a children's writing competition open to schools or individuals.
3) N-COUNT: with supp, oft in names A privately-run place where a particular skill or subject is taught can be referred to as a school.
  ...a riding school and equestrian centre near Chepstow.
  ...the Kingsley School of English.
4) N-VAR: with supp, oft in names A university, college, or university department specializing in a particular type of subject can be referred to as a school.
  ...a lecturer in the school of veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania...
  Stella, 21, is at art school training to be a fashion designer.
5) N-UNCOUNT School is used to refer to university or college. [AM]
  Moving rapidly through school, he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Kentucky at age 18.
6) N-COUNT-COLL: usu with supp A particular school of writers, artists, or thinkers is a group of them whose work, opinions, or theories are similar.
  ...the Chicago school of economists...
  O'Keeffe was influenced by various painters and photographers, but she was never a member of any school.
7) N-COUNT-COLL: N of n A school of fish or dolphins is a large group of them moving through water together.

12) PHRASE: usu n PHR (approval) If you approve of someone because they have good qualities that used to be more common in the past, you can describe them as one of the old school.
school of thought
He is one of the old school who still believes in honour in public life.
...an elderly gentleman of the old school.

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

¹school /ˈskuːl/ noun, pl schools
1 a : a place where children go to learn

[count]

• He is going to a different school this year.
• The town is building a new school.

[noncount]

• Where do you go to school?
• He learned to play the flute at/in school.
• Their daughter will start attending school next year.
• He left/quit school [=he stopped going to school] when he was 16.
- often used before another noun
• the school building/newspaper
• school lunches/functions/plays/friends
• The town has an excellent school system. [=the schools in the town are excellent]
b US : a college or university

[count]

• He is transferring to a different school next semester.

[noncount]

• He goes to school in New York.
• He is attending law/business/medical school.
• She is away at school.
c [count] : a division within a university or college for study and research in a particular area of knowledge - usually singular
• She is a student at the law/business/medical school.
- often + of
• the school of art/engineering
d [count] : a place where people go to learn a particular skill
• acting/driving/language schools
2 [noncount]
a : the activity or process of learning or teaching in a school
• School is hard for her.
• Their daughter will start school next year.
• (US) Where do you teach school?
• (US) My parents won't let me get a job while I'm in school. = (Brit) My parents won't let me get a job while I'm at school. [=while I am a student in a school]
• Stay in school and get your diploma.
• He never did well in school.
b : the period of time during which students are in school
• I missed school yesterday.
• He was late for school. [=he was not at the school on time]
• Let's meet after school.
• School starts at 8:00 a.m.
- often used before another noun
• the school day/year
3 [count] : the students or students and teachers of a school
• The whole school was at the assembly.
• Five schools donated money to the homeless shelter.
4 [count] : a group of people who share the same opinions, beliefs, or methods
• artists from the Impressionist/Romantic school
- often + of
• the German school of philosophers/philosophy
• a new school of painters/painting
• The two authors come from different schools of writing.
• There are two main schools of thought [=ways of thinking] on that topic.

³school noun, pl schools [count] : a large group of fish or other ocean animals that are swimming together
• Fish swim in schools.
- often + of
• a school of fish/dolphins