▪ I. preach, n.1 colloq.
[f. preach v.; in quot. 1597 after F. prêche m. a Protestant sermon (16th c. in Littré), similarly f. prêcher to preach.]
An act of preaching; a preachment; a discourse.
| c 1500 Wyntoun's Cron. v. 3392 (Wemyss MS.) At Constantinople, quhare he had His duelling and his prechis [other MSS. prechynge] maid. 1597 Hooker Eccl. Pol. v. xxviii. §3 According to this forme of theirs..No Sermon, no Seruice. Which..occasioned the French spitefully to terme Religion in that sort exercised, a meere Preach. 1643 in 7th Rep. Hist. MSS. Comm. 445 Mr. Henderson immediately after made a thing between a speech and a preach to us. 1838 Lett. fr. Madras (1843) 138 [I] took the opportunity of being alone with him to give him a preach, and try to do him a little good. 1870 Mrs. Whitney We Girls vi, I preached a little preach. |
▪ II. preach, n.2
Colloq. abbrev. of preacher. U.S.
| 1968 D. Wilkerson Hey, Preach—you're comin' Through! 9 He grabbed my arm and blurted: ‘Hey, Preach—you're comin' through!’ 1969 C. F. Burke God is Beautiful, Man (1970) 96 Ananias..puttin' his hands on him like the preach down at the revival camp does. |
▪ III. preach, v.
(priːtʃ)
Forms: 3–6 preche, 4 preyche, preeche, 4–6 (chiefly Sc.) preiche, 5–6 prech, 6 preache, 6– preach.
[ME. prechen, a. F. prêcher, OF. prechier, syncopated form of preëchier (11th c. in Godefroy) from *predichier, ad. L. prædicāre to proclaim publicly, announce, in eccl. L. to preach, f. præ- + dicāre to proclaim.
The eccl. word prædicāre was adopted early in nearly all the Romanic and Teutonic langs., as It. predicare, Prov. prezicar, Sp., Pg. predicar; OSax. predikôn, OE. predician, OHG. predigôn, ON. prédika.]
1. a. intr. ‘To pronounce a public discourse upon sacred subjects’ (J.); to deliver a sermon or religious address (now usually from or on a text of Scripture).
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 70 Ȝe ne schulen..preche to none mon..Seinte Powel uorbead wummen to prechen. a 1300 Cursor M. 175 Iesu crist..openlik bigan to preche [MS. F. preyche]. c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 226 Þe pape his bulle sent hider vnto þe legate, & comanded him to preche þorgh alle þe lond. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) V. 215 He hadde i-preched aȝenst wommen þat pleyde aboute þe ymage of Eudoxia. c 1425 Cast. Persev. 804 in Macro Plays 101 Ȝa! whanne þe fox prechyth, kepe wel ȝore gees! 1500–20 Dunbar Poems xiv. 6 Sic pryd with prellattis, so few till preiche and pray. c 1532 G. Du Wes Introd. Fr. in Palsgr. 952 To preache, prescher. 1567 Gude & Godlie B. (S.T.S.) 45 Till all Creature for to preiche. 1644 Milton Areop. (Arb.) 65 Christ urg'd it as where with to justifie himself, that he preacht in publick. 1674 Prideaux Lett. (Camden) 6 On Sunday morneing I went to hear on Bayly of Maudlins preach. 1697 M. Henry Life P. Henry Wks. 1853 II. 674/1 He preached over the former part of the Assembly's Catechism, from divers texts; he also preached over Psalm 116. 1763 Johnson in Boswell 31 July, Sir, a woman preaching is like a dog's walking on his hind legs. It is not done well; but you are surprized to find it done at all. 1853 J. H. Newman Hist. Sk. (1873) II. i. iii. 138 The Greek clergy preached against them as heretics. |
b. To utter a serious or earnest exhortation, esp. moral or religious; to talk seriously in the way of persuasion or moralizing. Now usually dyslogistic: To give moral or religious advice in an obtrusive or tiresome way.
| 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. lxxxvii. 110 They were brought to his tent, and there they were so preched to that they tourned to sir Charles parte. 1602 Shakes. Ham. iii. iv. 126 His forme and cause conioyn'd, preaching to stones, Would make them capeable. 1754 Richardson Grandison (1810) V. xxv. 168 Let us..when we are called upon to act a great or manly part, preach by action. 1806 Metcalfe in Owen Wellesley's Desp. (1877) 807 To meet their ambition..with the language of peace, would be to preach to the roaring ocean to be still. a 1834 Coleridge in Patmore Friends & Acquaint. (1854) I. 89 ‘Pray, Mr. Lamb, did you ever hear me preach?’ ‘Damme’, said Lamb, ‘I never heard you do anything else’. 1875 W. S. Hayward Love agst. World 45 Why do you preach to me in that manner? |
c. Phr. to preach to the converted: to commend an opinion to those who already assent to it.
| 1867 Mill Exam. Hamilton's Philos. (ed. 3) xiv. 319 Dr. M'Cosh is preaching not only to a person already converted, but to an actual missionary of the same doctrine. 1916 G. Saintsbury Peace of Augustans iii. 144 One may be said to be preaching to the converted and kicking at open doors in praising..the four great novelists of the eighteenth century. 1971 It 2–16 June 14/4 The problem is as usual that one tends to be preaching to the converted—so the important thing is to make sure that people who don't know are informed. |
2. a. trans. To proclaim, declare, or set forth by public discourse (the gospel, something sacred or religious). Also with obj. clause.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 24/10 To preche cristendom. 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 1528 Seinte peter..sende seint Marc þe ewangelist in to egypt vor to preche Þen gospel þat he adde imaked. 1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. i. 23 Forsoth we prechen Crist crucified. 1388 ― Rom. x. 15 As it is writun Hou faire ben the feet of hem that prechen pees, of hem that prechen good thingis. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1826 Cuthbert, sittand at þe borde, Prechid to þaim goddis worde. 1535 Coverdale Isa. lxi. 1 Y⊇ Lorde hath anoynted me, and sent me, to preach good tydinges vnto the poore. 1590 Spenser F.Q. ii. x. 53 Joseph of Arimathy, Who brought with him the holy grayle, they say, And preacht the truth. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. iii. xli. 263 He was to preach unto them, that he was the Messiah. 1864 Tennyson Sea Dreams 21 Not preaching simple Christ to simple men. |
b. To set forth or teach (anything) in the way of exhortation; to advocate or inculcate by discourse or writing; to exhort people to (some act or practice). Also with obj. clause.
| a 1340 Hampole Psalter cxxi. 8, I prechid pes, þat neghburs & breþere be samynd in charite. c 1400 Rom. Rose 6181 [To] preche us povert and distresse, And fisshen hem-self greet richesse. 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 136 [He] preched to theym that they shulde disheryte the erle Loyes. Ibid. 752 Than the prelates..began to preche this voiage in maner of a crosey. 1590 Shakes. Com. Err. v. i. 174 My M{supr} preaches patience to him. 1667 Milton P.L. xi. 723 And to them preachd Conversion and Repentance, as to Souls In prison. 1709 Prior Hans Carvel 47 At first He therefore Preach'd his Wife The Comforts of a Pious Life. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) V. 47 He practised the lesson..which Hesiod only preached. 1906 M. Corelli Treas. Heaven i, Are you resolved to preach copy-book moralities at me? |
c. preach up: to extol, commend, or support by preaching; to discourse in praise of. So preach down: to decry or oppose by preaching; to discourse against; to put down or silence by preaching.
| 1644 J. Goodwin Danger Fighting agst. God 10 [He] preacheth error up, and truth downe. 1724 A. Collins Gr. Chr. Relig. Pref. 56 Preaching down the receiv'd notions both of Jews and Gentiles. 1796 Burney Mem. Metastasio II. 190 It is easy to preach up fasting, upon a full stomach. 1855 Tennyson Maud i. x. iii, Last week came one to the county town, To preach our poor little army down. |
3. To utter or speak publicly, deliver (now only a sermon, a religious or moral discourse).
| c 1400 Beryn 119 Thouȝe it be no grete holynes to prech þis ilk matere, And þat som list not to her it; ȝit [etc.]. c 1400 Destr. Troy 2207 When Priam hade his prologe preched to ende, Ector hym answarede esely and faire. 1549 (title) The fyrste Sermon of Mayster Hughe Latimer, whiche he preached before the Kynges Maiest. 1625 Bp. Hall (title) A Sermon of publike Thancksgiuing preacht before his Ma{supt}{supi}⊇. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 82 He cooks by the Hour-Glass, as the Parsons preach Sermons. 1715 De Foe Fam. Instruct. i. iii. (1841) I. 58, I had such a lecture preached to me yesterday by..our own youngest child. 1798 Coleridge Fears in Solitude 65 Words that even yet Might stem destruction, were they wisely preached. |
† 4. With personal obj. (orig. indirect): To preach to; to address in the way of exhortation (public or private); to exhort, instruct. Obs. a. on religious subjects; b. in any sense.
| c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 89/88 Þis holie man honourede hem þe more, And prechede heom ofte of clannesse. c 1290 Beket 1932 ibid. 162 Seint thomas..Stod and prechede al þat folk þat mani a man i-sai. 1362 Langl. P. Pl. A. Prol. 56, I Font þere Freres all þe Foure Ordres, Prechinge þe peple for profyt of heore wombes. c 1386 Chaucer Frankl. T. 96 They prechen hire, they telle hire nyght and day That causelees she sleeth hir self allas. a 1450 Myrc Festial 82 Þys byschop had preched hym all þat he couþe, and fonde hym euer þe lengur þe wors. c 1500 Melusine xxiv. 196 How, sire knyght,..are ye come hither for to preche vs? 1523 Ld. Berners Froiss. I. 576 The foles & outragious people..sayd howe they were preched inough. 1706 E. Ward Wooden World Diss. (1708) 45 He shall preach ye..about giving Cæsar his Due. 1709 [see 2 b]. |
5. To bring or put by preaching into or out of some specified state; to affect in some way by preaching. (Cf. preach down in 2 c.)
| 1609 B. Jonson Sil. Wom. iv. iv, We had a Preacher that would preach folke asleepe still. a 1716 South Serm. (1823) IV. 427 He may preach his heart out.., and all to no purpose. a 1845 Hood Recipe Civiliz. 88 What reverend bishop..Could preach horn'd Apis from his temple? 1852 M. Arnold Empedocles i ii, These hundred doctors try To preach thee to their school. |
Hence preached ppl. a.
| 1854 Marion Harland Alone ix, It did me more good than the preached sermons I have listened to since. 1891 S. Mostyn Curatica 36 Both the preacher—and the preached—are too weary to do justice to them. |