school
school — verb
- schoolpresent simple I / you / we / they
- schools3rd person singular
- schooling-ing form
- schooledpast simple
1. to cause a person, an animal, or yourself to develop a specific habit or skill t
to cause a person, an animal, or yourself to develop a specific habit or skill through carefully planned, repeated instruction
The guide dog was schooled to stop at every street corner before crossing.
passive: be schooled + to-infinitive — animal training
Joon schooled himself to remain calm even when the other driver started shouting at him.
reflexive: school + oneself + to-infinitive — self-discipline
Young athletes at the academy are schooled in the basics of nutrition and injury prevention.
Aarav schooled his voice to stay steady whenever he felt nervous during a presentation.
- train
more common and general; used for animals and people in everyday contexts
- discipline
emphasises punishment or strict control as part of training
- drill
focuses on repetitive practice, especially for a test or emergency
文法句型
school + object + to-infinitive
school + object + in + (skill/habit)
be schooled + to-infinitive
be schooled + in + (skill/habit)
用法筆記
This sense is formal and often appears in writing rather than everyday conversation. The reflexive pattern 'school oneself to do something' is common for describing personal discipline. Do not confuse with the everyday verb 'teach' — 'school' implies systematic, often strict training.
常見錯誤
2. to educate a child at a school or to send a child to a particular type of school
to educate a child at a school or to send a child to a particular type of school for their education
The Watanabe children were schooled at a small international school near their home.
passive: be schooled + at + (institution)
Kofi's parents chose to school him at home rather than at a public school.
transitive: school + object + at/in + (location) — homeschooling context
Manuela was schooled in both Spanish and English from the age of six.
In many countries, children are legally required to be schooled until the age of sixteen.
文法句型
be schooled + at + (institution)
be schooled + in + (location/field)
school + child + (prepositional phrase)
用法筆記
Frequently used in the passive voice ('was schooled at...'). The active form ('school + child') is less common in everyday conversation compared to 'send to school' or 'educate'. When specifying the institution type, use 'at' ('schooled at a private school'), and for location use 'in' ('schooled in the United States').
常見錯誤
3. to swim or gather in a large group, used only of fish and certain sea creatures
to swim or gather in a large group, used only of fish and certain sea creatures that move together for protection or hunting
Just below the boat, hundreds of sardines were schooling near the surface of the water.
intransitive: fish + school + (location) — sardines schooling
Marine biologists watched the tuna school tightly together to confuse a group of hunting dolphins.
school + adverb/prepositional phrase — describes movement and purpose
During the dive, Élise saw a massive group of barracuda schooling around the coral reef.
Every autumn, thousands of herring school in the cold waters off the coast of Iceland.
- shoal
used interchangeably with 'school' in British English for fish groups
文法句型
fish + school + (prepositional phrase)
用法筆記
This sense is a specialised term in marine biology and fishing. Only aquatic animals that naturally form groups — such as sardines, herring, tuna, and anchovies — are described as 'schooling'. Not used for land animals or humans.
常見錯誤
school — noun
- schoolsingular
- schoolsplural
1. a building where children and young people go to learn from teachers
a building where children and young people go to learn from teachers
Haruto walks past the school every morning on his way to the park.
The school on Green Street has a big playground behind it.
definite article + location phrase to specify building
Zola's parents visited three different schools before choosing one for her.
The old school building was turned into a community centre last year.
Ilan showed his little brother around the school on the first day.
- academy
more formal, often for private or specialist institutions
- institution
broader term, can refer to any type of educational body
文法句型
go to + school
at + (the) + school
a + school
用法筆記
When no article is used ('go to school', 'at school'), the word refers to the activity of learning rather than the physical building. Add 'the' or 'a' to talk about a specific building: 'I went to the school to speak to the principal.'
常見錯誤
2. the time a person spends being a student, from the first day of classes until le
the time a person spends being a student, from the first day of classes until leaving
Caio made most of his closest friends during his school years.
school years = period of attendance
Rohan enjoyed school because he loved learning about history and geography.
After finishing school, Lauren went to university to study medicine.
Niran's parents always taught him to take school seriously and work hard.
Megan left school at eighteen and started working at a local hospital.
- education
broader, can include university and informal learning
文法句型
at + school
finish + school
leave + school
during + school
用法筆記
This sense is always uncountable and never takes an article. 'School' here refers to the period or experience, not a place. Common verbs: 'start school', 'finish school', 'leave school', 'enjoy school'.
常見錯誤
3. the part of the day when lessons take place at a school
the part of the day when lessons take place at a school
School finishes at three thirty, and then the children walk home together.
School finishes = lessons end for the day
Léa was often tired after a long day at school.
There is no school on Saturday at most elementary schools in Taiwan.
Roya stayed after school to practise for the choir concert.
The students have lunch at school every day except Sunday.
文法句型
after + school
before + school
at + school (meaning during the day)
no + school
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 2: this sense refers to the daily schedule ('school starts at eight'), while sense 2 refers to the multi-year period ('she finished school at eighteen'). Common time expressions: 'before school', 'after school', 'during school', 'at school' (in session).
4. all the students, teachers, and other staff of a school, thought of as one group
all the students, teachers, and other staff of a school, thought of as one group
The whole school gathered in the hall for the end-of-year ceremony.
the whole school = everyone at the school
The school raised over ten thousand dollars for the local charity this year.
Adina's art project was chosen by the school to represent them at the fair.
The school decided to start a recycling program after students asked for it.
When the basketball team won, the entire school celebrated together.
- faculty and students
more explicit but less common as a single term
文法句型
the whole + school
the + school + singular/plural verb
用法筆記
In British English, the collective noun 'school' can take a singular or plural verb: 'The school is having a meeting' (as a unit) or 'The school are divided on the issue' (as individuals). In American English, singular is preferred.
5. one of the divisions inside a university that concentrates on one field of study
one of the divisions inside a university that concentrates on one field of study, for example law or medicine
Élise studies at the School of Economics at National Taiwan University.
proper noun: School of + field
The medical school requires students to complete three years of science courses first.
Joon applied to the School of Engineering because he wants to design bridges.
The law school has one of the best libraries in the country.
Wren's father teaches architecture at the School of Design in Melbourne.
- faculty
used in British universities; e.g. 'Faculty of Arts'
- department
a smaller unit within a school, e.g. 'Department of History' might be inside the School of Humanities
- college
in some systems, 'college' is used the same way as 'school'; e.g. 'College of Engineering'
文法句型
the School of + [subject]
a + school + of + [field]
用法筆記
This sense differs from sense 7 (college or university as a whole) in that it refers to a division within a larger institution, not the entire institution. A university typically has several schools, such as a School of Medicine, School of Law, and School of Engineering.
常見錯誤
6. a business or organisation that gives lessons in one specific activity, such as
a business or organisation that gives lessons in one specific activity, such as playing music, speaking a foreign language, or driving a car
Tariq takes guitar lessons at a music school on Saturday afternoons.
The driving school near the train station offers classes in English and Chinese.
driving school = learns driving skills
Bao enrolled in a language school to improve his Japanese before moving to Tokyo.
Eshe's mother runs a small cooking school from their home kitchen.
Nikhil attends an evening school twice a week to learn computer programming.
- institute
more formal; often for professional training, e.g. 'institute of technology'
文法句型
a + [subject] + school
[subject] + school
用法筆記
The skill is usually specified before 'school', forming a compound: 'dancing school', 'driving school', 'language school'. These are separate institutions, not departments of a university (sense 5). This sense also includes 'summer school' and 'evening school' for short-term or part-time learning.
7. a university or college — a place where students go to study for higher qualific
a university or college — a place where students go to study for higher qualifications after secondary education — or the period a person spends there as a student
After finishing high school, Christopher decided to go to school in New York.
school used for university/college (higher education)
The school offers full scholarships to students from low-income families.
Aarav spent three years at law school before taking the bar exam.
Élise is applying to several schools on the West Coast this autumn.
Many international students work part-time while attending school to cover their living costs.
- university
the most common term in UK English for a degree-granting institution, but includes undergraduate-only colleges in some contexts
- college
often used interchangeably with 'school' in US English; in UK English typically refers to a post-16 institution or a constituent part of a university
用法筆記
In US English, 'school' often refers to any college or university. In UK English, 'university' is more common for the institution, though 'school' is still used for professional programmes such as law school or medical school.
常見錯誤
8. artists, writers, or thinkers who share a common style, method, or set of ideas,
artists, writers, or thinkers who share a common style, method, or set of ideas, especially because they follow the same leader or teacher
The Dutch school of painting produced many famous artists in the 1600s.
the [name/country] school of painting/art
During her lecture, Professor Amira outlined the Chicago school of thought for her economics class.
concrete: professor + lecture setting demonstrates a school of thought being taught
Zola belonged to a school of writers who described working people's daily lives.
At the town hall, Tara and Indra debated two schools of thought on traffic flow.
This new school of architecture values simple shapes and natural materials.
用法筆記
Frequently followed by 'of' (e.g. 'school of thought', 'school of painting'). The field is usually named before or after the phrase — the 'Chicago school of economics' or a 'school of writers from the 19th century'.
常見錯誤
9. marine animals, especially fish, that stay together and move as one body through
marine animals, especially fish, that stay together and move as one body through the water
A large school of fish swam past the divers near the coral reef.
a school of fish (group of fish swimming together)
Nikhil watched a school of sardines turn as if they shared one mind.
The dolphins worked together to trap a school of tuna against the shore.
A school of tiny silver fish darted through the clear, shallow water.
- shoal
less common than 'school' in everyday English; 'shoal' sometimes suggests fish that stay close to the surface or shore