teach

views updated May 29 2018

teach / ch/ • v. (past taught / tôt/ ) [tr.] show or explain to (someone) how to do something: she taught him to read he taught me how to ride a bike. ∎  [tr.] give information about or instruction in (a subject or skill): he came one day each week to teach painting | she teaches me French. ∎  [intr.] give such instruction professionally: she teaches at the local high school. ∎  [tr.] encourage someone to accept (something) as a fact or principle: the philosophy teaches self-control. ∎  cause (someone) to learn or understand something: she'd been taught that it paid to be passive. ∎  induce (someone) by example or punishment to do or not to do something: my upbringing taught me never to be disrespectful to elders. ∎ inf. make (someone) less inclined to do something: “I'll teach you to mess with young girls!”• n. inf. a teacher.PHRASES: teach someone a lessonsee lesson.teach school be a schoolteacher.

teach

views updated May 29 2018

teach don't teach your grandmother to suck eggs proverbial saying, early 18th century; a caution against offering advice to the wise and experienced.
you can't teach an old dog new tricks proverbial saying, mid 16th century; meaning that someone who is already set in their ways is not able to learn new ways of doing things.

teach

views updated May 29 2018

teach pt., pp. taught †show; show by way of information or instruction. OE. tǣċan :- *taikjan, rel. to tācen TOKEN.

Teach

views updated May 11 2018

Teach / ch/ , Edward, see Blackbeard.