lecture

Everyday

1. A talk given to a group of people, especially students at a university, to teach them about a subject. tree →
2. A long, serious talk telling someone off or telling them how to behave: Mum gave me a lecture about my messy room. tree →
3. (verb) To give a talk to students as a teacher at a university or college. tree →
4. (verb) To talk to someone in a long, serious way about what they did wrong. tree →

In the lessons

At university, students go to lectures and take notes; the teacher is a lecturer. In everyday life children often get «a lecture» from parents when they have done something wrong, which sounds boring or annoying. In stories it shows a character being told off at length. Phrases: give a lecture, attend a lecture, lecture hall, lecture theatre, lecture someone about something.

Examples

• My sister goes to three lectures a week at university. tree →
• The professor gave a lecture on volcanoes. tree →
• I got a long lecture from Dad about leaving the gate open. tree →
• Please don't lecture me, I know I was wrong. tree →
• The lecture hall was full of students. tree →
• She lectures in history at the college. tree →
• Grandad lectured us about saving money. tree →
• We listened to a lecture about safety near water. tree →
• All that botanists can say in many lectures was explained in a moment by this little flower. tree →

Note

Countable noun: a lecture, lectures. A person who gives lectures is a «lecturer». Note: lecture (a talk) is different from «reading»; in some languages a word like «lecture» means reading, but in English it never does (false friend).

In Jewish tradition

At university, students go to lectures and take notes; the teacher is a lecturer. In everyday life children often get «a lecture» from parents when they have done something wrong, which sounds boring or annoying. In stories it shows a character being told off at length. Phrases: give a lecture, attend a lecture, lecture hall, lecture theatre, lecture someone about something.

Examples

• Lecture before the Hermetic Society of London in the summer of 1886, Dr. Anna Kingsford, President, in the chair. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →
• The substance of this little volume was read as a [p. 13] Lecture before the Hermetic Society of London in the summer of 1886, Dr. Anna Kingsford, President, in the chair. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) tree →

Note

Countable noun: a lecture, lectures. A person who gives lectures is a «lecturer». Note: lecture (a talk) is different from «reading»; in some languages a word like «lecture» means reading, but in English it never does (false friend).