school

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
school1

▶noun

• 1 an institution for educating children.

  ■ a day's work at school; lessons.

• 2 any institution at which instruction is given in a particular discipline: a dancing school.

  ■ N. Amer. informal a university.

  ■ a department or faculty of a university: the School of Dental Medicine.

• 3 a group of people sharing similar ideas or methods.

  ■ a specified style, approach, or method.

• 4 Brit. a group of people gambling together.

  ■ a group of people drinking together and taking turns to buy the drinks.

▶verb

• 1 chiefly formal or N. Amer. send to school; educate.

• 2 train in a particular skill or activity.

  ■ Riding train (a horse) on the flat or over fences.

– phrases
school of thought a particular way of thinking.

– origin OE scōl, scolu, via L. from Gk skholē ‘leisure, philosophy, lecture place’, reinforced in ME by OFr. escole.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
school2

▶noun a large group of fish or sea mammals. ▶verb (of fish or sea mammals) form a school.

– origin ME: from Mid. Low Ger., MDu. schōle, of W. Gmc origin; cf. shoal1.