School can refer to several different things depending on the context. It is a noun that can be used as an educational institution, a building where young people receive education, or even an educational institution's faculty and students. It can also refer to a period of instruction in a school, which is also referred to as "schooltime" or "school day".

In addition, school can also be used as a verb. When used as a verb, it means to educate in or as if in a school. This can involve training someone to have discriminative taste or judgment, or even cultivating their sense of civility or civilization. Another use of school as a verb involves swimming in or forming a large group of fish - this is commonly known as "shoaling".