▪ I. teach, v.
(tiːtʃ)
Pa. tense and pa. pple. taught (tɔːt). Forms: see below.
[OE. tǽcan, tǽcean, pa. tense tǽhte, pa. pple. *(ᵹe)tǽht:—OTeut. *taikjan, cognate with OE. tácn, Goth. taikns, OS. têkan, OHG. zeihhan, token, from an ablaut series teik-, taik-, tik- to show, pre-Teut. dig-, deig-, also deik-, in Skr. di{cced}-, Gr. δεικ-νύναι, δεῖγµα. Not found elsewhere in Teutonic; Ger. zeigen, OHG. zeigôn to show, has the same root. The vowel of the OE. pa. tense and pple. tǽht(e was apparently shortened before the two consonants, giving the Early ME. tahte, taȝte, whence the later taught, which appears already c 1300 dialectally as taut(e. But in the pa. tense a form with the long vowel survived to c 1300 as tǽhte, têhte, teihte, taihte, teite, taite. A normalized form teached (cf. reached) has been in partial use since the 14th c., but is not now accepted in educated speech.]
A. Illustration of Forms.
1. inf. 1 tǽc(e)an, 2–3 tachen, 3 teachen, (Orm.) tæchenn, 3–4 tache, (theche), 3–5 techen, 3–6 teche, 4–6 tech, teiche (4–5 teyche, 5 techyn, 6 teich, teache, teatch), 6– teach.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. §3 Ic þe mæᵹ ᵹiet tæcan oðer þing. 971 Blickl. Hom. 109 Him tæcean lifes weᵹ. c 1200 Ormin 3468 To tæchenn hemm. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 17 Ic wile..tachen hit ew. c 1205 Lay. 2419 He..sculde..tuhlen him teachen. c 1325 Spec. Gy Warw. 141 Tweie þinges it wole þe teche. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 115 Of þe bisshop Thurston haf I comandment, Þe clerkes forto tech. c 1375 Cursor M. 18710 (Fairf.) Þe trauþ to teiche [other MSS. teche]. Ibid. 27391 Þen agh þe leche Calde medicine þar to teyche. c 1375 Theching [see teaching vbl. n. 2]. 1535 Coverdale 2 Sam. i. 18 To teach the children of Iuda the bow. 1536 Wriothesley Chron. (Camden) I. 55 The curates should..teatch their parishiones the ‘Pater noster’. 1538 Starkey England i. iv. 132 Schold prech..and tech the pepul. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. i. (S.T.S.) 125 Our prædecessours..appoyntet sik magistratis..to teiche thame..to the people. |
2. imp. 1 tǽce, tǽc, 3 teke, 3–5 teche, tech, 4 teyche, 6 teache, 6– teach.
| ? a 1000 [see B. 6 c]. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 258 Leof, tæce us hu we maᵹon us ᵹebiddan. a 1240 Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 183 Ihesu teke þet tu art se softe and se swote. a 1272 Luue Ron 198 in O.E. Misc. 99 Tech hit oþer maydenes wel. 13.. Cursor M. 20795 (Cott.) Teche til him þat all might. c 1400 Cato's Morals 188 in Cursor M. p. 1671 Teyche þou þe vnwise. 1564–78 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 53 Teache me a Pomeander. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 137 Troth twise to thee teached, teach twentie times ten. |
3. pres. ind. a. 1st pers. sing. 1 tǽce, 3–5 teche, 6 teache, 6– teach.
| c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 173 Ic tæce sumum men his weᵹ. a 1272 Luue Ron 83 in O.E. Misc. 95 Ich teche þe enne treowe king. |
b. 2nd pers. sing. 1 tǽcst, 4 teches, teychis, 4–5 techest, 6– teachest.
| c 1000 ælfric Exod. xix. 12 Þu tæcst Israhela folce ᵹemæro. 13.. Cursor M. 12189 (Cott.) Þat þou teches [F. teychis; Tr. techest] til oþer men. |
c. 3rd pers. sing. 1 tǽcþ, tǽhð, 2 tecð, 2–5 techeþ, 3 tekeðe, 4 tekþ, teychis, 4–6 techeth (5 -ith, 6 -yth), 6– teacheth (now arch.), teaches.
| c 1000 ælfric Gen. Pref. 4 Se þe tæcþ of Ledene on Englisc. c 1000 ― Hom. I. 322 Se Halᵹa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse. a 1225 Ancr. R. 50 Þe blake cloð also tekeðe bitocnunge. c 1230 Hali Meid. 13, & techeð her on eorðe..þe liflade of heouene. 1340 Ayenb. 54 To huam þe holy gost tekþ to hyealde ordre. Ibid. 56 Alle uelþe he tekþ þer. c 1375 Cursor M. 12250 (Fairf.) Sum angel..teychis him alle atte he melis. 1377 Langl. P. Pl. B. i. 13 As his worde techeth [v.r. thecheth]. 1388 Wyclif Prov. xiii. 24 He that loueth him, techith bisili. 1538 Starkey England i. ii. 38 Vertue hyt ys that techyth vs al. |
d. pl. 1 tǽcað, 3–5 techen, 3–6 teche, 5–6 Sc. techis, 6 teache, (-en), Sc. teiche, 6– teach.
| c 1400 Rom. Rose 5159 As ye me teche. a 1425 Cursor M. 12192 (Trin.) What þei teche her feres. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 16 Quhilkis..techis othir symple folk..errouris. c 1460 Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 198 Whanne þei þee techen. 1563 Homilies ii. Peril Idolatry iii. (1859) 242 As the Scriptures teachen. 1580 J. Hay Demands §40 in Cath. Tractates (S.T.S.) 44 As ye teiche. |
4. pa. tense. α1–3 tǽhte (1 ᵹe-), 1 north. táhte, 2–4 tahte, tachte, (2 tahhte, tochte), 3–5 taȝte, tauhte, taute, 4 tawhte, tawghte, (taghtte), 4–5 taghte, tauȝte, taughte; 4–5 taȝt, tauht, taght, tauȝt, tawht, tawȝt, tawght, Sc. tacht, 5 taut, tawt, 5–6 Sc. taucht, tawcht, 5– taught; (5 toght, towght, 6 tought).
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. viii. [x.] (1890) 180 Him mon setl tæhte. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Mark xii. 38 And tahte vel lærde ðæm vel him [et docebat eis]. [So 975 Rushw. Gosp.] c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 68 Symle ðu tæhtest mildheortnysse. c 1050 Byrhtferth's Handboc in Anglia (1885) VIII. 304 An snotor wita me ᵹetæhte þisne cræft. a 1200 Vices & Virtues 27 Ðis ne tahte ðe non eorðlic mann. a 1200 Moral Ode 268 Al þet þe laþe gast hechte to and tachte. c 1200 Ormin 1071 Hiss boc himm tahhte. c 1205 Lay. 804 Brutus heom taute [c 1275 tehte]. a 1225 Juliana 62 Þat te engel to þe tahten. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3392 God taȝte hem weie. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 196 God þat þam it tauht. 13.. Cursor M. 741 (Cott.) Graitli taght [v.rr. taȝt, tauȝte] he him þe gin. Ibid. 17074 (Fairf.) Ther tawghtyst [T. tauȝtest] þou vs the way. 1375 Barbour Bruce ii. 130 He taucht him siluer to dispend. c 1386 Chaucer Pard. T. 36 As thilke hooly Iew oure eldres taughte [v.rr. taghte, tauȝt, tauȝte, tauht]. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 285 Nature..tawht hem so. c 1400 Apol. Loll. 42 Þus He tawt hem to do. c 1400 Emare 973 Emare thawȝte her sone ȝynge. 1447 O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 12 And tawth hyr the feyth of Crist Jesu. 1451 J. Capgrave Life St. Gilbert 87 He taute hem ferþermor oþir vertues. ? a 1500 Kyng & Hermyt 324 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 25 And taugȝt hym priuely to a sted, To feche the hors corne and bred. 1568 Grafton Chron. I. 15 Those also he taught his invention. |
(β) 2–3 têhte; 3 teihte, taihte, taite, 3–4 teiȝte, teite.
| c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 107 He us tehte. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 83 Þe tehte..alle wise witeȝe here wisdom. c 1200 Moral Ode 272 ibid. 228 Al þat þe loðe gost hem tihte to and taihte. a 1225 Ancr. R. 158 He teihte us openliche. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 634 in O.E. Misc. 136 Wel worþe þe wid, Þad þe first taite. c 1290 Christopher 173 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 276 Cristofre heom teiȝte þe riȝte bi-leue. c 1300 Harrow. Hell 233 (Digby MS.) Þou teitest me þene riȝte wey. |
(γ) 4–5 teched, -id, 5–6 Sc. techit, 6 Sc. teichit, -et, -ed, 6–7 (–9 dial.) teached.
| 13.. Cursor M. 12180 (Cott.) Maister leui, þat ald man, Teched [Gött. Techid] him a letter þan. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 38 [He] techit the folk of that contree to mak housis. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. iv. (S.T.S.) 232 Godlie men..quha..teiched the Scotis. Ibid. 242 Sigenie, a Scotis Preist..teichet his peiple. 1608 Willet Hexapla Exod. 714 They were taught, and teached not. 1890 W. A. Wallace Only a Sister x. 75 Old Mary Morley teached me that when I was growed up. |
5. pa. pple. α1 *ᵹetǽht, 2–4 taht, (tahht), 3–4 (i)taȝt, 4 itawt, 4–5 taght, tauht, taut, tauwȝt, (i)tauȝt, (y)tawȝt, itaught, tawht, tauwȝt, (y-tawȝtte), Sc. tawcht, 5–6 Sc. taucht, 5– taught; (5 toght, towght, 6 tought).
| c 1200 Ormin 18741 He þuss haffde uss tahht. a 1300 Floriz & Bl. 404 Floris hath iwroȝt As daris him haþ itaȝt [v.r. itawt]. 13.. Cursor M. 24243 (Edin.) Ik haf him taht [v.rr. tagh, taȝt, taght] to þi seruis. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 217 We weren tauht Of oure doctourus dere. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 169, I grette..his wyf..And tolde hire þe tokenes þat me I-tauȝt were. 1377 Ibid. B. xx. 185 Euelytawȝte elde. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints ii. (Paulus) 201 To thre knychttis þane wes he tawcht. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 157 No man schulde here goddis lawe tauwȝt. c 1386 Chaucer Melib. ¶300 Whiche of hem han..taught yow best conseil. 1390 Gower Conf. I. 118 The king hath..His brother tawht. c 1400 Destr. Troy 881 The tokyn hym taght. Ibid. 9232 When he hade..toght hym to go. 14.. Six Ballads (Percy Soc. No. 50) 14, I wyll nowyse be towght. 14.. in Babees Bk. (1868) 357 The wyse man hath hys sone y-tawȝ tte. 1570 B. Googe Pop. Kingd. 6 That Christ himselfe had tought. 1573 Satir. Poems Reform. xlii. 20 His toung weill taucht. 1746 Francis tr. Hor., Sat. ii. vii. 125 But should not you with heavier Stripes be taught? |
(β) 4 techid, 4–5 -ed, 6 Sc. techit, teichit, 6–7 (-9 dial.) teached.
| 13.. Cursor M. 18760 (Cott.) Quen iesus had..teched þam al þat he wild. Ibid. 6450 (Gött.) Grete chargis..þat fell to gastlines, Suld techid be thoru moyses. 1544 Suppl. to Hen. VIII in Four Supplic. (1871) 34 He hathe enstructe and teached the people. 1560 Rolland Seven Sages 31 Is this ȝour sone..[That] hes bene teichit? 1560–78 Bk. Discipl. Ch. Scot. (1621) 38 Experience hath teached us what pestilence hath been ingendered in the Kirk. |
B. Signification. I. To show, etc. [OE. or early ME. (exc. 3 b).]
† 1. trans. To show, present or offer to view.
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iv. i. §2 (MS. T) Tæhte þa þam biscope..sumne ᵹedefne munuc, þæs noma wæs Andreas. |
† 2. To show or point out (a thing, the way, a place, etc.) to a person. Obs.
| a 900 tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. viii. [x.], Him mon setl tæhte, and he sæt mid him æt þæm symble. Ibid. v. xvii. [xix.] §4. 971 Blickl. Hom. 109 Þa men þe bearn habban..him tæcean lifes weᵹ. c 1000 ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 173 Ic tæce sumum men his weᵹ. c 1250 Gen. & Ex. 3392 God taȝte hem weie, wis and pert. c 1400 Destr. Troy 7836 He..went with þo worthy, & þe way taght. |
† 3. a. To show (a person) the way; to direct, conduct, convoy, guide (to, from a place); to send away; also, to direct or refer (to something). Obs.
Orig. with dative of person and prep. (to, into, over, from), as if elliptical for teach him (the way) to a place.
| c 893 K. ælfred Oros. iii. iii. §1 Ic ᵹehwam wille þærto [= to þinum bocum] tæcan þe hiene his lyst ma to witanne. 925–35 Laws of Athelstan ii. c. 22 Non mon ne tæce his ᵹetihtledan mon from him. c 961 æthelwold Rule St. Benet lviii. (1885) 97 Tæce him mon siððan to niᵹcumenra manna huse. a 1000 Cædmon's Gen. 2900 (Gr.) On þære stowe þe him se stranga to, wærfest metod wordum tæhte. 13.. K. Alis. 5204 (Bodl. MS.) He shulde hem teche to sum Ryuere. Ibid. 5206 He hem tauȝtte ouer a wode. c 1386 Chaucer Nun's Pr. T. 129, I shal my self to herbes techen yow That shul been for youre hele. c 1425 Cast. Persev. 553 in Macro Plays 93 Þou art a nobyl knawe to techyn men fyrst fro goode! a 1440 Sir Degrev. 914 Damesel..Teche me to that ylke place. c 1450 Merlin xx. 316 Oo hym taught in-to a chamber wher thei were. ? a 1500 Kyng & Hermit 136 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 18 Late thy knave go, To teche me a myle or two. |
b. Ship-building. (absol.) Of a line: To point in a particular direction.
| c 1850 Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 155 We say, ‘let the line or mould teach fair to such a spot’. 1867 Smyth Sailor's Word-bk., To Teach, in marine architecture, is applied to the direction which any line or curve seems to point out. |
† 4. To show what is to be observed or done; to direct, appoint, prescribe, decree, enjoin. Const. as in II. Obs. or absorbed in II.
| c 897 K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxi. 161 Eft he him tæhte to fultome ðæt he him ᵹename ane iserne hearstepannan. c 1000 ælfric Exod. xix. 12 Þu tæcst Israhela folce ᵹemæro abutan þone munt. a 1023 Wulfstan Hom. xxxiii. 165 Þæt hy betan heora misdæda, swa swa bec tæcan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 107 Uten don elmessen swa he us tehte, gode to luue. c 1250 Long Life 23 in O.E. Misc. 156 Do ase he [Solomon] þe tahte [v.r. tauhte]. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. ii. 7, I lokede on þe luft half as þe ladi me tauhte. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 431 Cerimonyes of þe olde lawe..ben tauht to be left. c 1420 Chron. Vilod. 3838 Þe whyche tauȝt hym euer to don amys. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 45 Syne he did his Apostillis teiche Throw all the warld for to pas. |
II. To show by way of information or instruction. (Now the leading sense.)
In this group the original construction had an accusative of the thing imparted, with dative of the person or recipient when expressed. The loss of the dative inflexion, or, as in the pronouns, its identification with the accusative, was sometimes replaced by the preposition to, but oftener left two objects, of which the indirect, denoting the recipient, became more and more viewed as the direct object, and as such was made the subject of the passive voice, not only when the original direct object was an infinitive, as he was taught to dance, but even when it was a n., as he was taught Latin, in preference to Latin was taught him.
5. to teach a thing: To impart or convey the knowledge of; to give instruction or lessons in (a subject); † to make known, deliver (a message). With simple obj. or obj. clause.
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 43 Þa mæsse-preostas..sceolan heora scrift-bec mid rihte tæcan and læran. ? a 1000 K. ælfred's Boeth. xxxiv. §9 (MS. B.) Þæt þu..ne forᵹite þæt þæt ic ær tæhte. c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 322 Se Halᵹa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse. a 1175 Cott. Hom. 229 [Christ] tochte richwisnesse and soðfestnesse. 13.. Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1485 Þou hatz for-ȝeten ȝederly þat ȝisterday I taȝtte. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 1077 Þis kariede sonde Þat þus tiþinge tolde & tauhte þis wordus. c 1380 Wyclif Wks. (1880) 235 Crist & his apostlis tauten neuere..siche profession. 1451 J. Capgrave Life St. Aug. 12 He cam first hom..and þer taute he gramer. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 42 The Preachers shall teache the Gospell. 1563 Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. xix. Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 85 Quhy tech ȝe that thai are all indifferentlie of ane efficacitie? 1653 Walton Angler To Rdr. 4 To teach the Art of Fencing. 1790 Paley Horæ Paul. xvi, He was convinced of the truth of what he taught. Mod. What subjects does he teach in the school? |
6. to teach a person a thing, teach a thing to a person (or agent): a. To communicate something to a person, by way of instruction; † to inform.
| c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. § 3 Ic þe mæᵹ ᵹiet tæcan oðer þing. a 1050 in Sax. Leechd. III. 256 Eac ᵹewisse dæᵹmæl us swa tæcað. c 1200 Trin. Coll. Hom. 99 Ure helende sat ofte and tahte wisdom þan þe him folȝeden. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4827 Ȝif ȝe nolle englissemen godes lawes teche. a 1300 Cursor M. 24306 (Edin.) To techen þaim quat tai sul don. 1426 Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 36 Thynges that I shal teche the. 1564–78 W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 53, I praie you teache me one or twoo kinde of Pilles. 1715–20 Pope Iliad vi. 108 Thou Hector to the town retire, And teach our mother what the gods require. 1741–2 Gray Agrippina 135 Wrinkled beldams Teach it their grandchildren. 1820 Scott Monast. xxxv, I see it is ill done to teach the cat the way to the kirn. 1857 Buckle Civiliz. I. xii. 667 It was English literature which taught the lessons of political liberty, first to France, and through France to the rest of Europe. 1874 Green Short Hist. vii. §1. 352 The sufferings of the Protestants had failed to teach them the worth of religious liberty. |
b. The subject of the passive voice was originally the thing taught; it is now usually the person or indirect object.
| a 1300 Cursor M. 16324 Qui askes þou? it es þe forthwit taght. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 363 Upon the pointz, as we ben taught, Stant sacrilege. 1573 Tusser Husb. (1878) 30 As huswiues are teached, in stead of a clock, How winter nights passeth, by crowing of cock. 1637 (title) Romvlvs and Tarqvin. First Written in Italian by the Marques Virgilio Malvezzi: And now taught [= translated into] English, by H. C[arey]. 1745 Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 276 It is true..children may be taught superstition, under the notion of religion. 1825 R. H. Froude Rem. (1838) I. 190, I am being taught French. |
c. With the thing taught expressed by an infinitive (or n. clause): To show or make known to a person (how to do something, etc.).
| 971 Blickl. Hom. 43 Þa lareowas sceolan synnfullum mannum eadmodlice tæcan and læran þæt, hie [etc.]. ? a 1000 K. ælfred's Boethius Final Prayer (MS. B.), Tæc me þinne willan to wyrcenne. c 1250 O. Kentish Serm. in O.E. Misc. 35 Ne apostle ne prechur..ne hem tachte hu [h]i solde [etc.]. a 1300 Cursor M. 15373, I sal yow teche him for to knau. a 1352 Minot Poems (ed. Hall) ix. 3 Þe north end of Ingland teched him to daunce. 1470–85 Malory Arthur vii. xvii. 238 His [the red knight's] wyly fyghtyng taughte syr Beaumayns to be wyse. 1542 Udall Erasm. Apoph. ii. 342 b, For which we saie in Englyshe to teache our dame to spynne. 1616 Withal's Dict. 575 You teach your good Maister: teach your grandam to grope her duck. 1750 Gray Elegy 84 Many a holy text..that teach the rustic moralist to die. 1868 Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) II. 178 Education..means teaching children to be clean, active, honest, and useful. |
| fig. c 1400 Rom. Rose 3319 He tought it [my heart] so hym for to obey. 1625 Bacon Ess., Of Delayes (Arb.) 525 To teach dangers to come on, by ouer early Buckling towards them, is another Extreme. 1633 P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xi. iv, Thou..taught'st his heart to frame his Canto's best. 1715–20 Pope Iliad ix. 723 Is it for him these tears are taught to flow? 1825 T. Hook Sayings Ser. ii. Sutherl. (Colburn) 35 James's lank hair..was taught to curl gracefully à la Brutus. |
d. Used by way of threat: To let one know the cost or penalty of something. Also without direct object.
| 1575 Gamm. Gurton iii. iii. C iij b, And I get once on foote..ile teach the what longs to it. a 1619 Fletcher Mad Lover iii. ii, I'll teach you to be treacherous! 1697 Dryden Virg. Past. iii. 76 I'll teach you how to brag another time. 1778 F. Burney Evelina (1791) I. xxxvi. 191 She will..teach you to know who she is. c 1863 T. Taylor Ticket-of-Leave Man ii. 33 Sam! is it? Confound him! I'll teach him. 1889 A. Lang Pr. Prigio ii. 10 I'll teach you to be too clever, my lad. |
e. teach yourself (a subject): vbl. phr. used attrib. to designate a textbook or manual intended for use without the assistance of a teacher.
The phr. is derived from the titles of books in the Teach Yourself series, published from 1938.
| 1938 M. Thomas (title) Teach yourself embroidery. 1960 G. Butler Death lives Next Door He was..going through the Catalogue issued with the Teach Yourself Everything Series. 1961 Guardian 4 Feb. 14/6 As I was taught in a teach-yourself book. 1978 P. O'Donnell Dragon's Claw ii. 29, I usually spend a few hours with the tape recorder and a Teach Yourself Russian course. |
7. a. to teach a person or agent (with personal object only): To impart knowledge to, give instruction to; to inform, instruct, educate, train, school. to teach (a) school: see school n.1 1 d.
| c 1000 Eccl. Instit. 20 in Thorpe Ags. Laws II. 414 Hiᵹ sceolon swiðe lustlice his onfon, and him estlice tæcan. c 1250 Hymn Virg. 34 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 256 Maide dreiȝ & wel itaucht. a 1275 Prov. ælfred 442 in O.E. Misc. 129 He sal banne þat wiȝt Þat him first taȝte. c 1325 Spec. Gy Warw. 570 Houre swete lord..Hise deciples began to teche. 1393 Langl. P. Pl. C. i. 120 Ȝe sholde be here fadres and techen hem betere. 1484 Caxton Fables of Auian iii, He whiche will teche and lerne some other, ought first to corryge & examyne hym self. 1558 Peebles Burgh Rec. (1872) 244 The haill inqueist ordanis Walter Haldane to teche thair Grammare Scoill. 1596 Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. viii. (S.T.S.) 110 A wyfe..weil taucht and brocht vp. 1667 Milton P.L. xii. 446 All Nations they shall teach. 1722 in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 75 A charity school..for teaching and instructing poor children in. 1877–9 Ruskin St. Mark's Rest ii. §18 There is nothing like a little work with the fingers for teaching the eyes. 1908 [Miss Fowler] Betw. Trent & Ancholme 21 Master Teanby..taught him and others. |
b. With prepositional extensions (to teach of, etc.). † to teach to: to train to, to accustom to the use or practice of (obs.).
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2197 Men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xxi. 17 There he dwelte, and tauȝte hem of the kyngdam of God. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6659 A clerke..Þat couthe teche his men to faythe. a 1553 Udall Royster D. i. iii. (Arb.) 24, I haue not bene taught to kissing and licking. 1660 F. Brooke tr. Le Blanc's Trav. 166 These Lions..are taught to it, when they are young. |
8. absol. or intr. To communicate knowledge; to act as a teacher; to give instruction.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 242 ᵹif se lareow wel tæce..doð swa swa he tæcð. 1340–70 Alex. & Dind. 237 Folk þat fain is to teche. 1382 Wyclif Matt. xi. 1 Jhesus..passide fro thennes for to preche and teche in the citees of hem. c 1440 Gesta Rom. xlv. 178 (Harl. MS.) The whiche prophesied and tawte aȝenst synne. 1552 Huloet, Teache in a schole, didascolo. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 158 One that teacheth by publique Authority. 1674 (Mar. 15) Warrant for appreh. Bunyan, One John Bunnyon..Tynker hath divers times within one month last past..preached or teached at a Conventicle meeteing or assembly. 1878 R. W. Dale Lect. Preach. viii. 226 He must learn how to teach. |
III. † 9. a. To deliver, hand over, give; to give in trust, commit, entrust, commend to the keeping of some one. Obs.
In OE. usually expressed by betǽcan, beteach; even quot. c 1000 below is difficult to separate from sense 4.
| c 1000 ælfric Hom. I. 46 Ða ᵹesetnysse ðe us Moyses tæhte [Vulg. tradidit nobis Moyses]. c 1205 Lay. 22599 Ich tache þe mine leofen sunen. a 1300 Cursor M. 15349 His bodi suld be taght His fas þat war felun. Ibid. 15411 In handes yur i sal him teche. c 1300 Havelok 2214 Hauelok his sone he him tauhte, And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte. c 1375 Sc. Leg. Saints xxii. (Laurentius) 84 To sancte Syxt þane tacht [he] It. 1375 Barbour Bruce x. 43 To the gud lorde of Douglas,..He taucht the archaris euirilkane. c 1420 Anturs of Arth. 605 Swylke a touche at þat tyme he taughte hym in tene. c 1475 Rauf Coilȝear 772 Ane Chalmer with Armour the King gart richt than Be taucht to ane Squyar. |
† b. To commend or commit (a person) to God; to bid adieu to; to wish (good day) to: cf. beteach v. 4, 4 b. Obs. rare.
| c 1400 Rowland & O. 1268 Charlles..Taughte hym to godde. a 1425 Cursor M. 8068 (Trin.) Þe kyng..tauȝte hem god & good day. |
▸ intr. Educ. (orig. U.S.). to teach to (also for) the test: to teach students (only) the material likely to appear in an forthcoming (usually standardized or widely administered) exam, esp. when such teaching is regarded as superficial or inadequate.
| 1959 N.Y. Times 17 Feb. 33/3 Both agreed that tests were valuable but that any one national test for all schools..would be harmful... Teachers might teach for the test and..curriculums might be adapted to it. 1963 D. A. Goslin Search for Ability i. iv. 93 We need to know to what extent teachers are ‘teaching to the test’ and how much administrators are tailoring curricula to match test requirements. 1988 Los Angeles Times (Electronic ed.) 19 Sept. 1 I'm sure somewhere out there are staff members who probably restrict their teaching (to what is covered in) testing. Teaching only to a test is very limiting. 2003 Daily Tel. (Nexis) 17 July 2 Learning at AS-level was perceived as rushed and superficial; teachers felt under pressure to teach to the test; pupils focused on maximising their grades at the expense of wider exploratory learning. |
▪ II. teach, n.
(tiːtʃ)
Colloq. abbrev. of teacher 2 a.
| 1958 F. Norman Bang to Rights iii. 90 ‘Now now give him a chance,’ said the teach. 1976 A. Hill Summer's End i. 6, ‘I always suspected it, Hill,’ Teach had called across the classroom. Ibid. 9 The Teach with the cardboard box stopped in front of each kid and gave him or her a paper bag. |