school1

noun

• 1an institution for educating children:Ryder’s children did not go to school at all [as modifier]:school books
• the buildings used by a school:the cost of building a new school
• [treated as plural] the pupils and staff of a school:the head addressed the whole school
• [mass noun] a day’s work at school:school started at 7 a.m.

• 2any institution at which instruction is given in a particular discipline:a dancing school
• North American informalanother term for university.Harvard is certainly not a loafer’s school
• a department or faculty of a university concerned with a particular subject of study:the School of Medicine

• 3a group of people, particularly writers, artists, or philosophers, sharing similar ideas or methods:the Frankfurt school of critical theory
• [with adjective or noun modifier] a style, approach, or method of a specified character:film-makers are tired of the skin-deep school of cinema

• 4 (schools) British (at Oxford University) the hall in which final examinations are held.
• final examinations: I never took schools. I was ill

• 5British a group gambling together:a poker school
• a group of people drinking together in a bar and taking turns to buy the drinks: I ordered a pint of bitter for myself—I didn’t want to get into a school

verb

• 1chiefly formal or North American send to school; educate:Taverier was born in Paris and schooled in Lyon
• train or discipline (someone) in a particular skill or activity:he schooled her in horsemanship it’s important to school yourself to be good at exams

• 2 Riding train (a horse) on the flat or over fences: if you have schooled your horse properly, your riding will look better

adjective

• (of a Xhosa) educated and westernized: economic considerations persuaded many Xhosa not to become school by opting for a Western lifestyleContrasted with red (sense 4 of the adjective).
• (of a name) of Western origin: it embarrasses me to be called by the school name I was given at church

  [with reference to the mission schools, which encouraged westernized dress, language, and behaviour]