learn

Definition of learn

8 senses · 3 parts of speech · etymology included

verb

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.”
“a school in which he learns sly circumvention”
“I was very impressed with the obvious amount of work that went into the learning and synchronization of such a complex and harmonically and difficult score.”

See all 8 definitions

verb

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.”
“a school in which he learns sly circumvention”
“I was very impressed with the obvious amount of work that went into the learning and synchronization of such a complex and harmonically and difficult score.”
To attend a course or other educational activity.

“For, as he took delight to introduce me, I took delight to learn.”
To gain knowledge from a bad experience so as to improve.

“learn from one's mistakes”
To study.

“I learn medicine.”
“They learn psychology.”
To come to know; to become informed of; to find out.

“He just learned that he will be sacked.”
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 lady of the worlde And there Tramtryst lerned her to harpe and she beganne to haue grete fantasye vnto hym”
“Sweete Prince, you learne me noble thankfulnes: […]”
“Haue I not bene Thy Pupill long? Haſt thou not learn'd me how To make Perfumes?”
“[…] Take heed of filling their [i.e., children's] heads with VVhimzies, and unprofitable Notions; for this vvill ſooner learn them to be malepert and proud, than ſober and humble.”

noun

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[…]”

name

A surname from Scottish Gaelic.

Definitions from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA.

Etymology

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…

See full etymology

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”). 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.

Anagrams of learn

8 plays · some not in Scrabble

Best play renal 5 points

Words you can make from learn

33 playable · top: RENAL (5 pts)

Best play renal 5 points

4-letter words

11 words

3-letter words

10 words

2-letter words

11 words

Hooks

2 extensions · 2 back

A single letter you can add to learn to make another valid word.