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

Campillo taught with Teach for America before becoming an attorney.

From Voice of San Diego

He soon left the Washington Post Company to start a non-profit called Venture for America, modeled on Teach for America.

From Freakonomics

I asked her how her trainers, born and raised in Iran, have learned how to teach hip-hop.

From The Daily Beast

But when their students asked them how they could teach civics if they could not vote, they took to the streets.

From The Daily Beast

Many dance instructors register their classes at gyms and teach women or men (separately) under the name of aerobics.

From The Daily Beast

But we were attempting a deliberate naiveté, a decision to approach these books as if they might have something to teach us.

From The Daily Beast

The mission is to teach any person to use technology for independence and empowerment no matter where they are located.

From The Daily Beast

“It means, my dear, that the Dragoons and the 60th will have to teach these impudent rebels a much-needed lesson,” said her uncle.

From Project Gutenberg

Woe to the man that first did teach the cursed steel to bite in his own flesh, and make way to the living spirit.

From Project Gutenberg

Sherwood often wavers between him and Kullak, and Deppe would like to teach Sherwood if he could, simply out of interest for him.

From Project Gutenberg

I've tried to teach lots of folks; an' sum learns quick, an' some don't never learn; it's jest 's 't strikes 'em.

From Project Gutenberg

These strange things that Alf has been trying to teach me during the long nights I have learned—I understand.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

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