schoolmaster

noun

school·​mas·​ter ˈskül-ˌma-stər How to pronounce schoolmaster (audio)
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 adjective
schoolmasterly adjective

Examples of schoolmaster in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web In the original Irving tale, the character of Katrina — the young woman in Sleepy Hollow who schoolmaster Ichabod Crane and prankster Brom Bones covet as a future bride — has only a small part. Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 12 Oct. 2023 In the tiny community of Baile Beag, lessons bend to the hedge teacher’s whim—and, in this case, the white-bearded schoolmaster Hugh (Seán McGinley) loves the classics. Helen Shaw, The New Yorker, 3 Nov. 2023 Set in a deteriorating boys school, the ghostly French thriller centers on the wife of a domineering schoolmaster (Paul Meurisse) whose continual abuse eventually inspires his wife (Clouzot) and mistress (Signoret) to join forces and plot his murder. Elaina Patton, NBC News, 25 Oct. 2023 But as an older man, a schoolmaster, Kennedy Manyika was wary of his children taking too much interest in music. Andrew Holter, Rolling Stone, 15 July 2023 Her mother was born the daughter of a Methodist schoolmaster but was orphaned and taken in by a Muslim man who prayed five times a day. Hannah Beech, New York Times, 30 June 2023 The book has its share of heavy-handedness, to be sure: the busts of Voltaire and Frederick the Great, standing in for reason and brute power, respectively, that sit in opposite corners of a schoolmaster’s office; a stain on the wall of one character’s apartment that grows as his situation worsens. Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Dec. 2022 When Donald Trump took presidential office, she was cast briefly as the great defender of the Western liberal order, a reputation burnished by an unforgettable 2018 picture of Merkel glaring across the table at Trump like a stern schoolmaster about to scold a truculent pupil. Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2021 In the 1760s, an English schoolmaster named John Entick hacked trespass law, which previously only applied to citizens invading each other’s property, to constrain the government as well. Bruce Schneier, CNN, 7 Feb. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'schoolmaster.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of schoolmaster was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near schoolmaster

Cite this Entry

“Schoolmaster.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/schoolmaster. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.

Kids Definition

schoolmaster

noun
school·​mas·​ter -ˌmas-tər How to pronounce schoolmaster (audio)
: a man who teaches school

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