Plural of schoolboy; male students attending school, typically boys in primary or secondary school.
Compound of 'school' (from Greek 'schole,' originally meaning leisure or time for learning) plus 'boy' (from Old English 'boia'). The compound 'schoolboy' has been used since the 1400s.
The word 'school' originally meant leisure time in ancient Greek—as in time for intellectual discussion and learning. Over time it completely flipped to mean the opposite: scheduled, structured time. That's a complete semantic reversal that happened over 2,000 years!
Generic masculine 'boys' persists in institutional contexts despite coeducation. Obscures female students' presence and reinforces male as default.
Use 'schoolchildren,' 'students,' or specify 'schoolboys and schoolgirls' only when gender distinction is material.
["students","schoolchildren","pupils"]
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