learn

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   gain knowledge or skills

   I learned dancing from my friends.

2. 2
   verb

   get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally

   I learned that they have two grown-up children.

3. 3
   verb

   commit to memory

   learn by heart

4. 4
   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.

5. 5
   verb

   To attend a course or other educational activity.

   For, as he took delight to introduce me, I took delight to learn.

6. 6
   verb

   To gain knowledge from a bad experience so as to improve.

   learn from one's mistakes

7. 7
   verb

   To study.

   I learn medicine.

8. 8
   verb

   To come to know; to become informed of; to find out.

   He just learned that he will be sacked.

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.