schoolmaster

noun

school·​mas·​ter ˈskül-ˌma-stər 

1

: a man who teaches school

2

: one that disciplines or directs

3

: a reddish-brown edible snapper (Lutjanus apodus) of the tropical Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico

schoolmasterish

ˈskül-ˌma-stə-rish 

adjective

schoolmasterly adjective

Examples of schoolmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The hero, or antihero, of the story is Ichabod Crane, a rather ridiculous-looking schoolmaster who has set his cap for Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful, coquettish daughter of a wealthy Dutch farmer. — Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026

Every four years the American Society of Civil Engineers marks the nation's roads, bridges, dams and water systems the way a schoolmaster works through a stack of exam papers. — Dara-Abasi Ita, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026

The struggle inspired a young Newcastle schoolmaster named Thomas Spence to develop the world’s first basic income proposal. — Will Glovinsky, The Conversation, 30 Mar. 2026

His father, Robert, was a Cambridge graduate and a schoolmaster who died in 1879, leaving a modest estate, of which Henry, the eldest of eight children, was an executor. — Ben Yagoda, New Yorker, 22 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for schoolmaster

• bandmaster
• broadcaster
• cadastre
• disaster
• forecaster
• grandmaster
• headmaster
• newscaster
• paymaster
• pilaster
• postmaster
• roadmaster

Kids Definition

schoolmaster

noun

school·​mas·​ter -ˌmas-tər 

: a man who teaches school