dame-school

[deym-skool]

noun

1. a school in which the rudiments of reading, writing, and arithmetic were taught to neighborhood children by a woman in her own home.

dame school

noun

1. (formerly) a small school, often in a village, usually run by an elderly woman in her own home to teach young children to read and write

Word History and Origins

Origin of dame-school¹

First recorded in 1810–20