teach

¹

[ teech ]

verb (used with object)

, taught, teach·ing.

1. to impart knowledge of or skill in; give instruction in:

   She teaches mathematics.

   Synonyms: coach

2. to impart knowledge or skill to; give instruction to:

   He teaches a large class.

   Synonyms: coach, indoctrinate, school, drill, discipline, enlighten, inform

verb (used without object)

, taught, teach·ing.

1. to impart knowledge or skill; give instruction.

   Synonyms: coach, indoctrinate, school, drill, discipline, enlighten, inform

noun

1. Informal. teacher.

Teach

²

[ teech ]

noun

1. Edward Blackbeard, died 1718, English pirate and privateer in the Americas.

Teach

¹

/ tiːtʃ /

noun

1. TeachEdward1718MEnglishCRIME AND POLICING: pirate Edward, known as Blackbeard. died 1718, English pirate, active in the West Indies and on the Atlantic coast of North America

teach

²

/ tiːtʃ /

verb

1. tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitiveoften foll byhow to help to learn; tell or show (how)

   to teach someone how to paint

   to teach someone to paint

2. to give instruction or lessons in (a subject) to (a person or animal)

   to teach French

   to teach children

   she teaches

3. tr; may take a clause as object or an infinitive to cause to learn or understand

   experience taught him that he could not be a journalist

4. informal.
   Alsoteach someone a lesson to cause (someone) to suffer the unpleasant consequences of some action or behaviour

Derived Forms

• ˈteachable, adjective

Other Words From

• over·teach verb overtaught overteaching
• pre·teach verb pretaught preteaching
• re·teach verb retaught reteaching
• under·teach verb undertaught underteaching

Word History and Origins

Origin of teach¹

First recorded before 900; Middle English techen, Old English tǣcan; akin to token

Word History and Origins

Origin of teach¹

Old English tǣcan; related to tācen token , Old Frisian tēken, Old Saxon tēkan, Old High German zeihhan, Old Norse teikn sign

Synonym Study

Teach, instruct, tutor, train, educate share the meaning of imparting information, understanding, or skill. Teach is the broadest and most general of these terms and can refer to almost any practice that causes others to develop skill or knowledge: to teach children to write; to teach marksmanship to soldiers; to teach tricks to a dog. Instruct almost always implies a systematic, structured method of teaching: to instruct paramedics in techniques of cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Tutor refers to the giving of usually private instruction or coaching in a particular subject or skill: to tutor a child in ( a foreign language, algebra, history, or the like ). Train lays stress on the development of desired behaviors through practice, discipline, or the use of rewards or punishments: to train a child to be polite; to train recruits in military skills; to train a dog to heel. Educate, with a root sense of “to lead forth from,” refers to the imparting of a specific body of knowledge, especially one that equips a person to practice a profession: to educate a person for a high school diploma; to educate someone for the law.

Example Sentences

“Hannah taught me that every wheelchair user’s range of motion is different, so we would just go move by move and feel it out, like we do with any dancer.”

From Los Angeles Times

"From a colonial perspective, you want to project yourself," said Mazin Qumsiyeh, an environmental scientist who teaches at Bethlehem University and founded the Palestine Museum of Natural History.

From Salon

They said their client did not accept that the school lacked basic resources for teaching and the facilities were continually being developed.

From BBC

While McMahon’s views on many hot-button education issues are not well-known, the institute’s website focuses its priorities on “school choice,” parental approval of curriculum, basic skills and “teaching the truth about America’s history.”

From Los Angeles Times

Alex Alonso, who has worked as a professor in the Cal State university system and recently taught a class about the history of street gangs, was called by the defense.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• advise
• coach
• demonstrate
• develop
• direct
• explain
• instruct
• lecture
• prepare
• show
• train
• tutor