learn

The act of learning something.

Noun

  1. The act of learning something.
    • I did a quick learn of the place by watching the people shuffle in. There was a healthy mix of beautiful and freaky people, who shared a few common denominators[…] - 2003, Gregory A. Raymer, The Woodie Chronicles: My...

Origin

From Middle English lernen (“to learn", also, "to teach"”), from Old English leornian (“to learn", rarely also, "to teach”), from Proto-West Germanic *liʀnōn, from Proto-Germanic *lizaną, from Proto-Indo-European *(le-)lóys-e, stative from the root *leys- (“track, furrow, trace, trail”). The spelling with ⟨ea⟩ is of Early Modern English origin and reflects a lengthening of /ɛ~e/ to /eː/ before /rn/ in Late Old English or Early Middle English, then later lowering to /ɛː/; the modern pronunciation reflects still later reshortening. Cognate with Old Frisian lernia, lerna (“to learn”), Middle Low German lernen (“to learn", also, "to teach”), Middle Dutch leernen (“to learn", also, "to teach”) (whence Dutch lernen (“to study scripture”)), German lernen (“to learn”). See also lore and lear.

Forms

learns larn learne

Related

lore

Verb

  1. To acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an ability to do something.
    • It's time Dad learned (how) to change the oil in the car.
    • In my latest job, I've learnt to keep my mouth shut more than in the last one.
    • Toddlers learn to walk at around one year old.
  2. To attend a course or other educational activity.
    • For, as he took delight to introduce me, I took delight to learn. - 1719 May 6 (Gregorian calendar), [Daniel Defoe], The Life and Strange Surprizing Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, […], London: […] W[illiam] Taylor […],...
  3. To gain knowledge from a bad experience so as to improve.
    • learn from one's mistakes
  4. To study.
    • I learn medicine.
    • They learn psychology.
  5. To come to know; to become informed of; to find out.
    • He just learned that he will be sacked.
  6. To teach.
    • Give him a clip round the ear. That'll learn him!
    • And whan she had serched hym she fond in the bottome of his wound that therin was poyson And soo she heled hym[…] and therfore Tramtrist cast grete loue to la beale Isoud for she was at that tyme the fairest mayde and...
    • Sweete Prince, you learne me noble thankfulnes: […] - 1598–1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, Much Adoe about Nothing. […], quarto edition, London: […] V[alentine] S[immes] for Andrew Wise, and William...

Forms

learns learning learned learnt no-table-tags glossary learn learnest learnedst learneth - larn learne

Synonyms

study

Antonyms

forget teach

Related

lear

Derived

belearn forelearn learnability learnable learn Arabic learn Chinese learned learner learnfare learn from experience learnification learning learnling learn one's lesson learn one's place learn the hard way learn the ropes learn to walk before one can run learny lessons learned live and learn lunch-and-learn mislearn must-learn