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to school

to school

3 7.2
For fish to swim together in a large group
  • verb
  • /skuːl/
translation icon : agruparse
  • As the sun set, the tuna started to school tightly, creating a mesmerizing spectacle.
  • fish school

Berrigan's long, sneaky sentences wriggle and school out across the page like that noiseless patient spider launching forth filament.

Examples

  • The arteries in his neck had swelled and were throbbing as if evenly spaced, small, fat fish were schooling through his bloodstream.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The big reds were schooling out there.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The salmon schooled up in the holding pool, some of them so weak that the current pressed them against the mesh of the screen and kept them from swimming off.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • Yellowfin tuna do not school under herds of porpoises in that part of the Indian Ocean, so few are caught in purse seine nets.

    Academic text (1990)
  • In the morning, the fish began to school together for their daily feeding.

  • During the migration season, thousands of sardines will school together along the coastline.

Synonyms

to flock
vsto school
74 2.0

To move together in large numbers

gathers by swimming together in water rather than general movement
to group
vsto school
38 1.2

To put people and things together by type or purpose

describes natural grouping by swimming rather than deliberate arranging
to congregate
vsto school
30 4.1

To come together in a group for a reason

gathers by swimming as a biological behaviour rather than meeting for a purpose
to crowd together
vsto school
2 3.0

To stand or move closely in a group

forms loose groups by swimming rather than by tight physical packing
to flock together
vsto school
2 3.0

People and animals come together in a group for safety or shared interest

joins in groups by swimming without implying shared interest or purpose

Idioms

To tell secrets about someone to other people

1 9.1

Being very confident and stylish in a way that seems unfriendly

1 7.4

Life experience you get by facing hard problems instead of formal education

Phrasal Verbs

To teach a child at home instead of sending them to school

To be in charge of a school and its activities

Compounds

1.0

A school for teenagers about 14 to 18 years old before college

305 1.0

A school that is free to attend and paid for by local taxes

272 3.2

A school where students study to become lawyers

233 2.0

Happening after regular school classes finish, often as activities for students

153 2.5

An area where public schools are run by one local government

152 3.2

A school where students train to become doctors and get a medical degree

147 2.3

The group that runs schools for children from kindergarten to high school

131 1.0

A school for children between five and eleven that teaches reading, writing, and basic math

125 4.6

Children or young people who are not attending school

120 1.9

A place where children learn that is not run by the government and costs money

117 2.3

A group of people who make decisions about local public schools

old school
  • Informal
112 4.6

People who follow older ideas and ways rather than new ones

103 1.4

A school for children between elementary and high school, usually grades 6 to 8

87 3.7

A public school run by teachers, parents, or community groups with more freedom than regular public schools

A person who helps children or teenagers learn at school

79 1.0

The time of year when schools are open and have classes

73 1.0

A large bus that carries children to and from school

A school where students live and study during the school term

58 1.4

A school for young children in their first years of education

grad school
  • Informal
54 3.2

A university program where students study for master's or PhD degrees

52 3.6

A part of a university that offers master's and PhD degrees

A place run by the Catholic Church that teaches religion and other subjects

45 1.8

A class on Sundays at a church that teaches children about the Bible

40 1.0

A day when students go to classes

A school that teaches people how to run or manage companies, often to get an MBA

38 2.7

A school where people learn to make art like painting or sculpture

32 2.3

A course held during the summer for students who need extra classes or credit

31 3.5

A private school that prepares students for college or top secondary schools

28 1.8

A school for students aged about 12 to 15 after elementary school

26 3.2

A school where students learn to make movies and write scripts

24 3.9

A shared set of ideas about a subject held by a group

A person you dated in high school who you remember fondly

23 2.5

A person who runs a school and leads the teachers

22 1.6

A newspaper made by students that reports on school events

20 5.7

A private secondary school in Britain attended by children from wealthy families

A paper made by students that reports school news and events

A school for children aged five to eleven where they learn basic subjects

15 2.4

An evening course for adults who cannot attend during the day

15 2.0

A school for students aged about 11 to 18 that comes after primary school and before college

A school where students learn to become nurses

A place where very young children learn before primary school

12 3.9

A private primary or secondary school run by a local church that gives religious lessons

A school run by a church, mosque, or temple that teaches faith and regular subjects

reform school
  • Archaic
10 6.8

A school where young people who break the law learn rules and work skills

8 2.1

A school where students learn to play and study music

A person who manages all the schools in a district

A college where students study to become dentists

8 3.0

A school where people learn practical skills like carpentry or plumbing

A place that teaches people how to drive cars

5 1.0

A bell in a school that tells students the start or end of class

A college that teaches how to design and build machines and structures

A school where students learn practical skills for a specific job

A child old enough to go to school, usually between five and fifteen years old

4 2.1

A school where people learn to dance

A private school for girls that teaches manners and social skills for adult life

4 3.4

A college or university known for many parties and a busy social life

A school that teaches practical skills for jobs like car repair or computer work

4 1.7

A school where students go during the day and go home in the evening, not a boarding school

A school where people learn to be doctors for animals

safety school
  • Jargon
3 3.7

A college or university a student expects to get into because it accepts many applicants

A place where people learn a foreign language

normal school
  • Archaic
3 6.7

A college that trains people to become primary school teachers

A private school run by a church that teaches religion and regular subjects

A place where people learn to dance

2 2.7

A school that teaches typing, filing, and other office skills

A school for teenagers who study grades nine to twelve after middle school

A private school that helps students get ready for university or college

A part of a university that trains people to become doctors

1 1.0

A period when a school has regular classes

A marked place on a road where children cross with an adult helping

A school that teaches useful job skills like cooking or car repair

grammar school
  • Archaic
1 5.3

A secondary school that teaches Latin and Greek to prepare students for university

1 1.1

A school for young children covering the first six or eight grades

How Close

to school
3 7.2
to swim
616 1.0

Surface Forms

school infinitive
schooled past
schooled past participle
schooling present participle
schools third person singular

Etymology

School as a verb for fish comes from the same old Dutch/German word for a 'group', so to school is to gather and swim together as a group.