academy

n.; pl. Academies [ F. académie, L. academia. Cf. Academe. ] 1. A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An institution for the study of higher learning; a college or a university. Popularly, a school, or seminary of learning, holding a rank between a college and a common school. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A place of training; a school. “Academies of fanaticism.” Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A society of learned men united for the advancement of the arts and sciences, and literature, or some particular art or science; as, the French Academy; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; academies of literature and philology. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A school or place of training in which some special art is taught; as, the military academy at West Point; a riding academy; the Academy of Music. [ 1913 Webster ]

Academy figure (Paint.), a drawing usually half life-size, in crayon or pencil, after a nude model. [ 1913 Webster ]