learn

learn [ lɜrn ] (past tense and past participle learned [ lɜrnt ] ) verb ***

1. ) intransitive or transitive to gain knowledge or experience of something, for example by being taught:

a bright girl who is already learning the alphabet

research into how children learn

What did you learn at school today?

We're learning fractions in math class this week.

a ) intransitive or transitive to gain knowledge or a skill that makes it possible for you to do something:

I'm learning a lot of new computer skills in this job.

learn to do something: The children are learning to swim this summer.

learn how to do something: I want to learn how to dive.

b ) intransitive or transitive to get the experience or knowledge that you need to behave or think in a particular way:

stereotypes that are learned at an early age

Children mainly learn by copying adults.

learn (how) to do something: You have to learn to be more patient.

c ) transitive to study something so that you remember it exactly: MEMORIZE:

Your assignment is to learn the periodic table.

learn something by heart (=exactly): It didn't take her long to learn her lines by heart.

learn something by rote (=without thinking about or understanding it): facts learned by rote

d ) learn by doing to learn a skill, ability, etc. by trying to do it:

Some learn by doing some prefer to learn by reading.

2. ) intransitive or transitive to gain new information about a situation, event, or person:

She'll go to great lengths to keep you from learning her secrets.

learn about/of: We didn't learn about the situation until it was too late.

learn (that): We were distressed to learn that American troops were the targets of the attack.

3. ) intransitive or transitive to improve your behavior as a result of gaining greater experience or knowledge of something:

His girlfriend's left him again. Some people never learn, do they?

a ) learn your lesson to be unlikely to do something stupid or wrong again, because last time you did it something unpleasant happened