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learn - 7 dictionary results

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learn

[lurn]

verb, learned [lurnd]

or learnt, learn⋅ing.

Use learn in a Sentence

–verb (used with object)

1.	to acquire knowledge of or skill in by study, instruction, or experience: to learn French; to learn to ski.

2.	to become informed of or acquainted with; ascertain: to learn the truth.

3.	to memorize: He learned the poem so he could recite it at the dinner.

4.	to gain (a habit, mannerism, etc.) by experience, exposure to example, or the like; acquire: She learned patience from her father.

5.	(of a device or machine, esp. a computer) to perform an analogue of human learning with artificial intelligence.

6.	Nonstandard. to instruct in; teach.

–verb (used without object)

7.	to acquire knowledge or skill: to learn rapidly.

8.	to become informed (usually fol. by of): to learn of an accident.

Origin:
bef. 900; ME lernen, OE leornian to learn, read, ponder (c. G lernen); akin to lesan to glean (c. G lesen to read). See lear

Related forms:

learn⋅a⋅ble, adjective

Synonyms:
1. Learn, ascertain, detect, discover imply adding to one's store of facts. To learn is to add to one's knowledge or information: to learn a language. To ascertain is to verify facts by inquiry or analysis: to ascertain the truth about an event. To detect implies becoming aware of something that had been obscure, secret, or concealed: to detect a flaw in reasoning. To discover is used with objective clauses as a synonym of learn in order to suggest that the new information acquired is surprising to the learner: I discovered that she had been married before.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Link To learn

learn (lûrn)

v. learned also learnt (lûrnt), learn·ing, learns

v. tr.

To gain knowledge, comprehension, or mastery of through experience or study.
To fix in the mind or memory; memorize: learned the speech in a few hours.
1. To acquire experience of or an ability or a skill in: learn tolerance; learned how to whistle.
2. To become aware: learned that it was best not to argue.
To become informed of; find out. See Synonyms at discover.
Nonstandard To cause to acquire knowledge; teach.
Obsolete To give information to.

v. intr.
To gain knowledge, information, comprehension, or skill: learns quickly; learned about computers; learned of the job through friends.

[Middle English lernen, from Old English leornian; see leis-¹ in Indo-European roots.]
learn'a·ble adj., learn'er n.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Learn

Learn\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Learned, or Learnt (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Learning.] [OE. lernen, leornen, AS. leornian; akin to OS. lin[=o]n, for lirn[=o]n, OHG. lirn[=e]n, lern[=e]n, G. lernen, fr. the root of AS. l?ran to teach, OS. l[=e]rian, OHG. l[=e]ran, G. lehren, Goth. laisjan, also Goth lais I know, leis acquainted (in comp.); all prob. from a root meaning, to go, go over, and hence, to learn; cf. AS. leoran to go . Cf. Last a mold of the foot, lore.]

1. To gain knowledge or information of; to ascertain by inquiry, study, or investigation; to receive instruction concerning; to fix in the mind; to acquire understanding of, or skill; as, to learn the way; to learn a lesson; to learn dancing; to learn to skate; to learn the violin; to learn the truth about something. "Learn to do well." --Is. i. 17.

Now learn a parable of the fig tree. --Matt. xxiv. 32.

2. To communicate knowledge to; to teach. [Obs.]

Hast thou not learned me how To make perfumes ? --Shak.

Note: Learn formerly had also the sense of teach, in accordance with the analogy of the French and other languages, and hence we find it with this sense in Shakespeare, Spenser, and other old writers. This usage has now passed away. To learn is to receive instruction, and to teach is to give instruction. He who is taught learns, not he who teaches.

Learn

Learn\, v. i. To acquire knowledge or skill; to make progress in acquiring knowledge or skill; to receive information or instruction; as, this child learns quickly.

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. --Matt. xi. 29.

To learn by heart. See By heart, under Heart.

To learn by rote, to memorize by repetition without exercise of the understanding.

Language Translation for : learn

Spanish: enterarse, saber,

German: erfahren,

Japanese: 知る

More Translations »

learn

O.E. leornian "to get knowledge, be cultivated," from P.Gmc. *liznojan (cf. O.Fris. lernia, O.H.G. lernen, Ger. lernen "to learn," Goth. lais "I know), with a base sense of "to follow or find the track," from PIE *leis- "track." Related to Ger. Gleis "track," and to O.E. læst "sole of the foot" (see last (n.)). The transitive sense (He learned me how to read), now vulgar, was acceptable from c.1200 until early 19c., from O.E. læran "to teach" (cf. M.E. lere, Ger. lehren "to teach;" see lore), and is preserved in the adj. learned "having knowledge gained by study" (c.1340).

Main Entry: learn
Pronunciation: 'l&rn
Function: verb
Inflected Form: learned /'l&rnd, 'l&rnt/ also learnt /'l&rnt/; learn·ing
transitive senses
: to acquire (a change in behavior) by learning learn intransitive senses
: toacquire a behavior tendency by learning —learn·er noun

learn

In addition to the idioms beginning with learn, also see by heart, learn; little knowledge (learning) is a dangerous thing; live and learn.

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