noun [C] 1 (in Britain, especially in England) a private school for children aged between 13 and 18. Parents have to pay to send their children to one of these schools. Many of the children at public schools live (board) there while they are studying. (在英国,尤其是英格兰的)公学(给13至18岁学生就读的私立学校,须缴学费,很多学生都在学校里寄宿)
2 (in the US, Australia, Scotland and other countries) a local school that any child can go to that provides free education (美国、澳大利亚、苏格兰及其他国家)公立学校(地方办的学校,免学费,任何儿童都可就读)