| 释义 |
▪ 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. diç-, 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.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. §3 Ic þe mæᵹ ᵹiet tæcan oðer þing. 971Blickl. Hom. 109 Him tæcean lifes weᵹ. c1200Ormin 3468 To tæchenn hemm. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 17 Ic wile..tachen hit ew. c1205Lay. 2419 He..sculde..tuhlen him teachen. c1325Spec. Gy Warw. 141 Tweie þinges it wole þe teche. c1330R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 115 Of þe bisshop Thurston haf I comandment, Þe clerkes forto tech. c1375Cursor M. 18710 (Fairf.) Þe trauþ to teiche [other MSS. teche]. Ibid. 27391 Þen agh þe leche Calde medicine þar to teyche. c1375Theching [see teaching vbl. n. 2]. 1535Coverdale 2 Sam. i. 18 To teach the children of Iuda the bow. 1536Wriothesley Chron. (Camden) I. 55 The curates should..teatch their parishiones the ‘Pater noster’. 1538Starkey England i. iv. 132 Schold prech..and tech the pepul. 1596Dalrymple 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.
a1000[see B. 6 c]. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 258 Leof, tæce us hu we maᵹon us ᵹebiddan. a1240Ureisun in Cott. Hom. 183 Ihesu teke þet tu art se softe and se swote. a1272Luue Ron 198 in O.E. Misc. 99 Tech hit oþer maydenes wel. 13..Cursor M. 20795 (Cott.) Teche til him þat all might. c1400Cato's Morals 188 in Cursor M. p. 1671 Teyche þou þe vnwise. 1564–78W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 53 Teache me a Pomeander. 1573Tusser 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.
c1000ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 173 Ic tæce sumum men his weᵹ. a1272Luue 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.
c1000ælfric 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.
c1000ælfric Gen. Pref. 4 Se þe tæcþ of Ledene on Englisc. c1000― Hom. I. 322 Se Halᵹa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse. a1225Ancr. R. 50 Þe blake cloð also tekeðe bitocnunge. c1230Hali Meid. 13, & techeð her on eorðe..þe liflade of heouene. 1340Ayenb. 54 To huam þe holy gost tekþ to hyealde ordre. Ibid. 56 Alle uelþe he tekþ þer. c1375Cursor M. 12250 (Fairf.) Sum angel..teychis him alle atte he melis. 1377Langl. P. Pl. B. i. 13 As his worde techeth [v.r. thecheth]. 1388Wyclif Prov. xiii. 24 He that loueth him, techith bisili. 1538Starkey 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.
c1400Rom. Rose 5159 As ye me teche. a1425Cursor M. 12192 (Trin.) What þei teche her feres. 1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 16 Quhilkis..techis othir symple folk..errouris. c1460Pol. Rel. & L. Poems (1866) 198 Whanne þei þee techen. 1563Homilies ii. Peril Idolatry iii. (1859) 242 As the Scriptures teachen. 1580J. 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).
a900tr. Bæda's Hist. iii. viii. [x.] (1890) 180 Him mon setl tæhte. c950Lindisf. Gosp. Mark xii. 38 And tahte vel lærde ðæm vel him [et docebat eis]. [So 975 Rushw. Gosp.] c1000ælfric Hom. I. 68 Symle ðu tæhtest mildheortnysse. c1050Byrhtferth's Handboc in Anglia (1885) VIII. 304 An snotor wita me ᵹetæhte þisne cræft. a1200Vices & Virtues 27 Ðis ne tahte ðe non eorðlic mann. a1200Moral Ode 268 Al þet þe laþe gast hechte to and tachte. c1200Ormin 1071 Hiss boc himm tahhte. c1205Lay. 804 Brutus heom taute [c 1275 tehte]. a1225Juliana 62 Þat te engel to þe tahten. c1250Gen. & Ex. 3392 God taȝte hem weie. c1330R. 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. 1375Barbour Bruce ii. 130 He taucht him siluer to dispend. c1386Chaucer Pard. T. 36 As thilke hooly Iew oure eldres taughte [v.rr. taghte, tauȝt, tauȝte, tauht]. 1390Gower Conf. I. 285 Nature..tawht hem so. c1400Apol. Loll. 42 Þus He tawt hem to do. c1400Emare 973 Emare thawȝte her sone ȝynge. 1447O. Bokenham Seyntys (Roxb.) 12 And tawth hyr the feyth of Crist Jesu. 1451J. Capgrave Life St. Gilbert 87 He taute hem ferþermor oþir vertues. a1500Kyng & Hermyt 324 in Hazl. E.P.P. I. 25 And taugȝt hym priuely to a sted, To feche the hors corne and bred. 1568Grafton Chron. I. 15 Those also he taught his invention.
(β) 2–3 têhte; 3 teihte, taihte, taite, 3–4 teiȝte, teite.
c1175Lamb. Hom. 107 He us tehte. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 83 Þe tehte..alle wise witeȝe here wisdom. c1200Moral Ode 272 ibid. 228 Al þat þe loðe gost hem tihte to and taihte. a1225Ancr. R. 158 He teihte us openliche. a1275Prov. ælfred 634 in O.E. Misc. 136 Wel worþe þe wid, Þad þe first taite. c1290Christopher 173 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 276 Cristofre heom teiȝte þe riȝte bi-leue. c1300Harrow. 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. 1456Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 38 [He] techit the folk of that contree to mak housis. 1596Dalrymple 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. 1608Willet Hexapla Exod. 714 They were taught, and teached not. 1890W. 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).
c1200Ormin 18741 He þuss haffde uss tahht. a1300Floriz & 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. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 217 We weren tauht Of oure doctourus dere. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. xi. 169, I grette..his wyf..And tolde hire þe tokenes þat me I-tauȝt were. 1377Ibid. B. xx. 185 Euelytawȝte elde. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints ii. (Paulus) 201 To thre knychttis þane wes he tawcht. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 157 No man schulde here goddis lawe tauwȝt. c1386Chaucer Melib. ⁋300 Whiche of hem han..taught yow best conseil. 1390Gower Conf. I. 118 The king hath..His brother tawht. c1400Destr. 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. 1570B. Googe Pop. Kingd. 6 That Christ himselfe had tought. 1573Satir. Poems Reform. xlii. 20 His toung weill taucht. 1746Francis 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. 1544Suppl. to Hen. VIII in Four Supplic. (1871) 34 He hathe enstructe and teached the people. 1560Rolland Seven Sages 31 Is this ȝour sone..[That] hes bene teichit? 1560–78Bk. 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.
a900tr. 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.
a900tr. 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. c1000ælfric Gram. xxviii. (Z.) 173 Ic tæce sumum men his weᵹ. c1250Gen. & Ex. 3392 God taȝte hem weie, wis and pert. c1400Destr. 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.
c893K. ælfred Oros. iii. iii. §1 Ic ᵹehwam wille þærto [= to þinum bocum] tæcan þe hiene his lyst ma to witanne. 925–35Laws of Athelstan ii. c. 22 Non mon ne tæce his ᵹetihtledan mon from him. c961æthelwold Rule St. Benet lviii. (1885) 97 Tæce him mon siððan to niᵹcumenra manna huse. a1000Cædmon'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. c1386Chaucer Nun's Pr. T. 129, I shal my self to herbes techen yow That shul been for youre hele. c1425Cast. Persev. 553 in Macro Plays 93 Þou art a nobyl knawe to techyn men fyrst fro goode! a1440Sir Degrev. 914 Damesel..Teche me to that ylke place. c1450Merlin xx. 316 Oo hym taught in-to a chamber wher thei were. a1500Kyng & 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.
c1850Rudim. Navig. (Weale) 155 We say, ‘let the line or mould teach fair to such a spot’. 1867Smyth 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.
c897K. ælfred Gregory's Past. C. xxi. 161 Eft he him tæhte to fultome ðæt he him ᵹename ane iserne hearstepannan. c1000ælfric Exod. xix. 12 Þu tæcst Israhela folce ᵹemæro abutan þone munt. a1023Wulfstan Hom. xxxiii. 165 Þæt hy betan heora misdæda, swa swa bec tæcan. c1175Lamb. Hom. 107 Uten don elmessen swa he us tehte, gode to luue. c1250Long Life 23 in O.E. Misc. 156 Do ase he [Solomon] þe tahte [v.r. tauhte]. 1362Langl. P. Pl. A. ii. 7, I lokede on þe luft half as þe ladi me tauhte. c1380Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 431 Cerimonyes of þe olde lawe..ben tauht to be left. c1420Chron. Vilod. 3838 Þe whyche tauȝt hym euer to don amys. 1567Gude & 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.
971Blickl. Hom. 43 Þa mæsse-preostas..sceolan heora scrift-bec mid rihte tæcan and læran. a1000K. ælfred's Boeth. xxxiv. §9 (MS. B.) Þæt þu..ne forᵹite þæt þæt ic ær tæhte. c1000ælfric Hom. I. 322 Se Halᵹa Gast ðe tæhð rihtwisnysse. a1175Cott. Hom. 229 [Christ] tochte richwisnesse and soðfestnesse. 13..Gaw. & Gr. Knt. 1485 Þou hatz for-ȝeten ȝederly þat ȝisterday I taȝtte. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 1077 Þis kariede sonde Þat þus tiþinge tolde & tauhte þis wordus. c1380Wyclif Wks. (1880) 235 Crist & his apostlis tauten neuere..siche profession. 1451J. Capgrave Life St. Aug. 12 He cam first hom..and þer taute he gramer. 1560J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 42 The Preachers shall teache the Gospell. 1563Winȝet Four Scoir Thre Quest. xix. Wks. (S.T.S.) I. 85 Quhy tech ȝe that thai are all indifferentlie of ane efficacitie? 1653Walton Angler To Rdr. 4 To teach the Art of Fencing. 1790Paley 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.
c888K. ælfred Boeth. xxxviii. § 3 Ic þe mæᵹ ᵹiet tæcan oðer þing. a1050in Sax. Leechd. III. 256 Eac ᵹewisse dæᵹmæl us swa tæcað. c1200Trin. Coll. Hom. 99 Ure helende sat ofte and tahte wisdom þan þe him folȝeden. 1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 4827 Ȝif ȝe nolle englissemen godes lawes teche. a1300Cursor M. 24306 (Edin.) To techen þaim quat tai sul don. 1426Lydg. De Guil. Pilgr. 36 Thynges that I shal teche the. 1564–78W. Bullein Dial. agst. Pest. (1888) 53, I praie you teache me one or twoo kinde of Pilles. 1715–20Pope Iliad vi. 108 Thou Hector to the town retire, And teach our mother what the gods require. 1741–2Gray Agrippina 135 Wrinkled beldams Teach it their grandchildren. 1820Scott Monast. xxxv, I see it is ill done to teach the cat the way to the kirn. 1857Buckle 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. 1874Green 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.
a1300Cursor M. 16324 Qui askes þou? it es þe forthwit taght. 1390Gower Conf. II. 363 Upon the pointz, as we ben taught, Stant sacrilege. 1573Tusser 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]. 1745Butler Serm. Wks. 1874 II. 276 It is true..children may be taught superstition, under the notion of religion. 1825R. 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.).
971Blickl. Hom. 43 Þa lareowas sceolan synnfullum mannum eadmodlice tæcan and læran þæt, hie [etc.]. a1000K. ælfred's Boethius Final Prayer (MS. B.), Tæc me þinne willan to wyrcenne. c1250O. Kentish Serm. in O.E. Misc. 35 Ne apostle ne prechur..ne hem tachte hu [h]i solde [etc.]. a1300Cursor M. 15373, I sal yow teche him for to knau. a1352Minot Poems (ed. Hall) ix. 3 Þe north end of Ingland teched him to daunce. 1470–85Malory Arthur vii. xvii. 238 His [the red knight's] wyly fyghtyng taughte syr Beaumayns to be wyse. 1542Udall Erasm. Apoph. ii. 342 b, For which we saie in Englyshe to teache our dame to spynne. 1616Withal's Dict. 575 You teach your good Maister: teach your grandam to grope her duck. 1750Gray Elegy 84 Many a holy text..that teach the rustic moralist to die. 1868Ruskin Arrows of Chace (1880) II. 178 Education..means teaching children to be clean, active, honest, and useful.
fig.c1400Rom. Rose 3319 He tought it [my heart] so hym for to obey. 1625Bacon Ess., Of Delayes (Arb.) 525 To teach dangers to come on, by ouer early Buckling towards them, is another Extreme. 1633P. Fletcher Purple Isl. xi. iv, Thou..taught'st his heart to frame his Canto's best. 1715–20Pope Iliad ix. 723 Is it for him these tears are taught to flow? 1825T. 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.
1575Gamm. Gurton iii. iii. C iij b, And I get once on foote..ile teach the what longs to it. a1619Fletcher Mad Lover iii. ii, I'll teach you to be treacherous! 1697Dryden Virg. Past. iii. 76 I'll teach you how to brag another time. 1778F. Burney Evelina (1791) I. xxxvi. 191 She will..teach you to know who she is. c1863T. Taylor Ticket-of-Leave Man ii. 33 Sam! is it? Confound him! I'll teach him. 1889A. 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.
1938M. Thomas (title) Teach yourself embroidery. 1960G. Butler Death lives Next Door He was..going through the Catalogue issued with the Teach Yourself Everything Series. 1961Guardian 4 Feb. 14/6 As I was taught in a teach-yourself book. 1978P. 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.
c1000Eccl. Instit. 20 in Thorpe Ags. Laws II. 414 Hiᵹ sceolon swiðe lustlice his onfon, and him estlice tæcan. c1250Hymn Virg. 34 in Trin. Coll. Hom. 256 Maide dreiȝ & wel itaucht. a1275Prov. ælfred 442 in O.E. Misc. 129 He sal banne þat wiȝt Þat him first taȝte. c1325Spec. Gy Warw. 570 Houre swete lord..Hise deciples began to teche. 1393Langl. P. Pl. C. i. 120 Ȝe sholde be here fadres and techen hem betere. 1484Caxton Fables of Auian iii, He whiche will teche and lerne some other, ought first to corryge & examyne hym self. 1558Peebles Burgh Rec. (1872) 244 The haill inqueist ordanis Walter Haldane to teche thair Grammare Scoill. 1596Dalrymple tr. Leslie's Hist. Scot. viii. (S.T.S.) 110 A wyfe..weil taucht and brocht vp. 1667Milton P.L. xii. 446 All Nations they shall teach. 1722in Picton L'pool Munic. Rec. (1886) II. 75 A charity school..for teaching and instructing poor children in. 1877–9Ruskin 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.).
1297R. Glouc. (Rolls) 2197 Men bet iteiȝt to ssofle & to spade. 1382Wyclif Matt. xxi. 17 There he dwelte, and tauȝte hem of the kyngdam of God. c1450St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 6659 A clerke..Þat couthe teche his men to faythe. a1553Udall Royster D. i. iii. (Arb.) 24, I haue not bene taught to kissing and licking. 1660F. 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.
c1000ælfric Hom. I. 242 ᵹif se lareow wel tæce..doð swa swa he tæcð. 1340–70Alex. & Dind. 237 Folk þat fain is to teche. 1382Wyclif Matt. xi. 1 Jhesus..passide fro thennes for to preche and teche in the citees of hem. c1440Gesta Rom. xlv. 178 (Harl. MS.) The whiche prophesied and tawte aȝenst synne. 1552Huloet, Teache in a schole, didascolo. 1651Hobbes 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. 1878R. 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.
c1000ælfric Hom. I. 46 Ða ᵹesetnysse ðe us Moyses tæhte [Vulg. tradidit nobis Moyses]. c1205Lay. 22599 Ich tache þe mine leofen sunen. a1300Cursor M. 15349 His bodi suld be taght His fas þat war felun. Ibid. 15411 In handes yur i sal him teche. c1300Havelok 2214 Hauelok his sone he him tauhte, And hise two douhtres, and al his auhte. c1375Sc. Leg. Saints xxii. (Laurentius) 84 To sancte Syxt þane tacht [he] It. 1375Barbour Bruce x. 43 To the gud lorde of Douglas,..He taucht the archaris euirilkane. c1420Anturs of Arth. 605 Swylke a touche at þat tyme he taughte hym in tene. c1475Rauf 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.
c1400Rowland & O. 1268 Charlles..Taughte hym to godde. a1425Cursor 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.
1959N.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. 1963D. 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. 1988Los 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. 2003Daily 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.
1958F. Norman Bang to Rights iii. 90 ‘Now now give him a chance,’ said the teach. 1976A. 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. |