Meanings
verblesson (third-person singular simple present lessons, present participle lessoning, simple past and past participle lessoned)
present singular third person lessons · participle present lessoning · participle past lessoned · past lessoned
- archaicTo instruct to teach.
And you, my sister—you, who lesson me on endurance, your cheek is pale, and your step languid; even with you, how much has life lost its interest!
1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter X, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 107
nounlesson (plural lessons)
plural lessons
- A section of learning or teaching into which a wider learning content is divided.
In our school a typical working week consists of around twenty lessons and ten hours of related laboratory work.
- Something learned or to be learned.
Nature has many lessons to teach to us.
- Something that serves as a warning or encouragement.
The accident was a good lesson to me.
1 more example
I hope this accident taught you a lesson!
- A severe lecture; reproof; rebuke; warning.
She would give her a lesson for walking so late.
The New Arcadia
a. 1587, Philippe Sidnei [i.e., Philip Sidney], “(please specify the folio)”, in [Fulke Greville; Matthew Gwinne; John Florio], editors, The Countesse of Pembrokes Arcadia [The New Arcadia], London: […] [John Windet] for William Ponsonbie, published 1590, →OCLC1 more example
The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again;[…]. Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.
1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC - entertainmentAn exercise; a composition serving an educational purpose; a study.
verblesson (third-person singular simple present lessons, present participle lessoning, simple past and past participle lessoned)
present singular third person lessons · participle present lessoning · participle past lessoned · past lessoned
- To give a lesson to; to teach.
To rest the weary, and to soothe the sad, Doth lesson happier men, and shame at least the bad.
1812, Lord Byron, “Canto II”, in Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage. A Romaunt, London: […] [F]or John Murray, […]; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and John Cumming, Dublin; by Thomas Davison, […], →OCLC, stanza LXVIII1 more example
her owne daughter Pleasure, to whom shee Made her companion, and her lessoned In all the lore of loue, and goodly womanhead.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VI”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA section of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service.
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More synonyms by meaning
nounpunishment intended as a warning to others
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Broader
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinlēctiō, lēctiōnem“a reading”
- Old Frenchleçon
- Middle Englishlessoun
- Englishlesson
From Middle English lessoun, from Old French leçon, from Latin lēctiō, lēctiōnem (“a reading”), from legō (“to read; to gather”). Doublet of lection.
More words from Middle English, Old French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek μάθημα
- μάθημα (máthēma)section of learning or teaching
Arabic دَرْس, حِصَّة
- دَرْس (dars)section of learning or teaching
- حِصَّة (ḥiṣṣa)section of learning or teaching
- دَرْس (dars)something learned
- عِبْرَة (ʕibra)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
Basque ikasgai, eskarmentu
- ikasgaisection of learning or teaching
- eskarmentusomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Bengali শিক্ষা, পাঠ
- শিক্ষা (śikkha)section of learning or teaching
- পাঠ (paṭh)section of learning or teaching
- সবক (sôbôk)section of learning or teaching
- দরস (dôrôs)section of learning or teaching
- সবক (sôbôk)learning task assigned to a student
- সবক (sôbôk)something learned
Bulgarian уро́к, ле́кция
- уро́к (urók)section of learning or teaching
- ле́кция (lékcija)section of learning or teaching
- урок (urok)something learned
- поука (pouka)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- уча (uča)to give a lesson; to teach
- давам урок (davam urok)to give a lesson; to teach
Catalan lliçó
- lliçósection of learning or teaching
Chinese Mandarin 課業 /课业, -課 /-课
- 課業 /课业 (kèyè)section of learning or teaching
- -課 /-课 (-kè)section of learning or teaching
Czech lekce, vyučovací hodina
- lekcesection of learning or teaching
- vyučovací hodinasection of learning or teaching
- ponaučenísomething learned
- ponaučenísomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Danish time, lektie
- timesection of learning or teaching
- lektielearning task assigned to a student
Dutch les
- lessection of learning or teaching
Esperanto leciono, legaĵo
- lecionosection of learning or teaching
- legaĵosection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Estonian õppetund
- õppetundsection of learning or teaching
Finnish oppitunti, luento
- oppituntisection of learning or teaching
- luentosection of learning or teaching
- läksylearning task assigned to a student
- kotitehtävälearning task assigned to a student
- tehtävälearning task assigned to a student
- opetussomething learned
- läksysomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- opetussomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- sanasection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
- opettaato give a lesson; to teach
French leçon, devoirs
- leçonsection of learning or teaching
- devoirslearning task assigned to a student
- leçonsomething learned
- leçonsomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- lecturesection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
German Lehrstunde, Stunde
- Lehrstundesection of learning or teaching
- Stundesection of learning or teaching
- Lektionsection of learning or teaching
- Unterrichtsection of learning or teaching
- Schularbeitlearning task assigned to a student
- Hausaufgabelearning task assigned to a student
- Lehresomething learned
- Lehresomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- Schriftlesungsection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Greek μάθημα, μαθήματα
- μάθημα (máthima)section of learning or teaching
- μαθήματα (mathímata)learning task assigned to a student
- εργασία (ergasía)learning task assigned to a student
- άσκηση (áskisi)learning task assigned to a student
- δίδαγμα (dídagma)something learned
- μάθημα (máthima)something learned
- μάθημα (máthima)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- διδάσκω (didásko)to give a lesson; to teach
- δασκαλεύω (daskalévo)to give a lesson; to teach
Hawaiian haʻawina, haʻawina
- haʻawinasection of learning or teaching
- haʻawinalearning task assigned to a student
Hebrew שיעור, שִׁעוּר
- שיעורsection of learning or teaching
- שִׁעוּר (shi'úr)section of learning or teaching
- יעוריםlearning task assigned to a student
- שִׁעוּרִים (shi'urím)learning task assigned to a student
- מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל (musár haskél)something learned
- לֶקַח (lékakh)something learned
- לֶקַח (lékakh)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
Hindi पाठ, सबक़
- पाठ (pāṭh)section of learning or teaching
- सबक़ (sabaq)section of learning or teaching
- पाठ (pāṭh)learning task assigned to a student
Hungarian lecke, óra
- leckesection of learning or teaching
- órasection of learning or teaching
- tanórasection of learning or teaching
- leckelearning task assigned to a student
- házi feladatlearning task assigned to a student
- tanulságsomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- szentleckesection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Icelandic kennslustund
- kennslustundsection of learning or teaching
Indonesian pelajaran
- pelajaransection of learning or teaching
Irish ceacht, ceacht
- ceachtsection of learning or teaching
- ceachtlearning task assigned to a student
- ceachtsomething learned
- ceachtsection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Italian lezione
- lezionesection of learning or teaching
Japanese 授業, 学科
- 授業 (jugyō)section of learning or teaching
- 学科 (gakka)section of learning or teaching
- 課section of learning or teaching
- レッスン (ressun)section of learning or teaching
Korean 수업, 과
- 수업 (sueop)section of learning or teaching
- 과 (gwa)section of learning or teaching
- 과 (gwa)learning task assigned to a student
- 수업 (sueop)something learned
- 교훈 (gyohun)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- 훈계하다 (hun'gyehada)to give a lesson; to teach
Latin documentum, auditio
- documentumsection of learning or teaching
- auditiosection of learning or teaching
- documentumsomething learned
- auditiosomething learned
- documentumsomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- auditiosomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- lectiosection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Latvian mācība, stunda
- mācībasection of learning or teaching
- stundasection of learning or teaching
Lithuanian pamoka
- pamokasection of learning or teaching
Malay pengajaran, pelajaran
- pengajaransection of learning or teaching
- pelajaransection of learning or teaching
Māori akoranga, whakaakoranga
- akorangasection of learning or teaching
- whakaakorangasection of learning or teaching
- akorangalearning task assigned to a student
- akorangasomething learned
- irosomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- tuhingasection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Norwegian Bokmål undervisningstime, lekse
- undervisningstimesection of learning or teaching
- lekselearning task assigned to a student
- lærepengesomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Persian آموزه, آموزه
- آموزه (āmuze)section of learning or teaching
- آموزه (āmuze)something learned
- آموزه (āmuze)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- پند (pand)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- آموزه (āmuze)section of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
- پند (pand)section of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
- آموزانیدن (āmuzānidan)to give a lesson; to teach
Polish lekcja, praca domowa
- lekcjasection of learning or teaching
- praca domowalearning task assigned to a student
- lekcjelearning task assigned to a student
- lekcjasomething learned
- lekcjasomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- naukasomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- nauczkasomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- czytaniesection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
- lekcjasection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Portuguese lição, lição
- liçãosection of learning or teaching
- liçãolearning task assigned to a student
- tarefalearning task assigned to a student
- liçãosomething learned
- liçãosomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- liçãosection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Romanian lecție, lecție
- lecțiesection of learning or teaching
- lecțiesomething learned
- lecțiesomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Russian уро́к, ле́кция
- уро́к (urók)section of learning or teaching
- ле́кция (lékcija)section of learning or teaching
- уро́к (urók)learning task assigned to a student
- уро́к (urók)something learned
- уро́к (urók)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
Scottish Gaelic leasan, leasan
- leasansection of learning or teaching
- leasanlearning task assigned to a student
- leasansomething learned
- leasansomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Slovak lekcia
- lekciasection of learning or teaching
Spanish lección, lección
- lecciónsection of learning or teaching
- lecciónsomething learned
- lecciónsection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Swahili funzo, somo
- funzosection of learning or teaching
- somolearning task assigned to a student
- funzosomething learned
- funzosomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
- funzosection of the Bible or other religious text read as part of a divine service
Swedish lektion, läxa
- lektionsection of learning or teaching
- läxalearning task assigned to a student
- läxasomething learned
- läxasomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Tamil பாடம், பாடம்
- பாடம் (pāṭam)section of learning or teaching
- பாடம் (pāṭam)learning task assigned to a student
- பாடம் (pāṭam)something learned
- பாடம் (pāṭam)something that serves as a warning or encouragement
- கற்பி (kaṟpi)to give a lesson; to teach
- சொல்லிக்கொடு (collikkoṭu)to give a lesson; to teach
- கற்றுக்கொடு (kaṟṟukkoṭu)to give a lesson; to teach
Thai บทเรียน
- บทเรียน (bòt-riian)section of learning or teaching
Turkish ders, çimke
- derssection of learning or teaching
- çimkesection of learning or teaching
- sebaksection of learning or teaching
- ibretsomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Ukrainian уро́к, ле́кція
- уро́к (urók)section of learning or teaching
- ле́кція (lékcija)section of learning or teaching
Urdu دَرْس, سَبَق
- دَرْس (dars)section of learning or teaching
- سَبَق (sabaq)section of learning or teaching
Vietnamese bài, bài học
- bàisection of learning or teaching
- bài họcsection of learning or teaching
- bài họcsomething learned
- bài họcsomething that serves as a warning or encouragement
Welsh gwers
- gwerssection of learning or teaching
Yiddish אויפֿגאַבע, לעקציע
- אויפֿגאַבע (oyfgabe)section of learning or teaching
- לעקציע (lektsye)section of learning or teaching
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with lesson
All rhymes →Sounds the same
Cite this entry
APA
lesson. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesson
MLA
“lesson.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesson. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lesson,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lesson.
Source: lesson on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.