Meanings
nounteacher (plural teachers)
plural teachers
- A person who teaches, especially one employed in a school; preceptor.
One particularly damaging, but often ignored, effect of conflict on education is the proliferation of attacks on schools[…]as children, teachers or school buildings become the targets of attacks. Parents fear sending their children to school. Girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence.
2013 July 19, Mark Tran, “Denied an education by war”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 1 - The index finger; the forefinger.
Synonyms: index finger
- An indication; a lesson.
But if the last two years are a teacher, look for the bombastic tweets to resume before sunrise.
2017 February 28, Steve LeVine, “Trump Speech to Congress: The Message Was Trumpian, But The Tone Was Decidedly Not”, in Quartz - MormonismThe second highest office in the Aaronic priesthood, held by priesthood holders of at least the age of 14.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe index finger; the forefinger.
Similar
More synonyms by meaning
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Middle Englishtechere
- Englishteacher
From Middle English techere, equivalent to teach + -er. More at teach.
More words from Middle English
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans onderwyser, onderwyseres
- onderwyserperson who teaches
- onderwyseresperson who teaches
Ancient Greek διδάσκαλος, κατηχητής
- διδάσκαλος (didáskalos)person who teaches
- κατηχητής (katēkhētḗs)person who teaches
Arabic مُعَلِّم, مُعَلِّمَة
- مُعَلِّم (muʕallim)person who teaches
- مُعَلِّمَة (muʕallima)person who teaches
- مُدَرِّس (mudarris)person who teaches
- مُدَرِّسَة (mudarrisa)person who teaches
- أُسْتَاذ (ʔustāḏ)person who teaches
- أُسْتَاذَة (ʔustāḏa)person who teaches
Basque irakasle, andereño
- irakasleperson who teaches
- andereñoperson who teaches
- maistraperson who teaches
- irakasleperson who teaches
- maisuperson who teaches
Bengali শিক্ষক, আচার্য
- শিক্ষক (śikkhok)person who teaches
- আচার্য (acarjo)person who teaches
- গুরু (guru)person who teaches
- ওস্তাদ (ōstad)person who teaches
- অধ্যাপক (oddhapok)person who teaches
- উপাধ্যায় (upaddhaẏ)person who teaches
- মুয়াল্লিম (muẏallim)person who teaches
- শিক্ষিকা (śikkhika)person who teaches
- অধ্যাপিকা (oddhapika)person who teaches
- মুয়াল্লিমা (muẏallima)person who teaches
Bulgarian учи́тел, учи́телка
- учи́тел (učítel)person who teaches
- учи́телка (učítelka)person who teaches
- преподава́тел (prepodavátel)person who teaches
- преподава́телка (prepodavátelka)person who teaches
- профе́сорка (profésorka)person who teaches
Catalan ensenyant, mestre
- ensenyantperson who teaches
- mestreperson who teaches
- mestraperson who teaches
- professorperson who teaches
- professoraperson who teaches
Chinese Cantonese 老師 /老师, 教師 /教师
- 老師 /老师 (lou⁵ si¹)person who teaches
- 教師 /教师 (gaau³ si¹)person who teaches
- 先生 (sin¹ saang¹)person who teaches
Chinese Mandarin 教師 /教师, 老師 /老师
- 教師 /教师 (jiàoshī)person who teaches
- 老師 /老师 (lǎoshī)person who teaches
- 教員 /教员 (jiàoyuán)person who teaches
- 師父 /师父 (shīfu)person who teaches
Czech učitel, učitelka
- učitelperson who teaches
- učitelkaperson who teaches
Danish lærer, lærerinde
- lærerperson who teaches
- lærerindeperson who teaches
Dutch leraar, lerares
- leraarperson who teaches
- leraresperson who teaches
- onderwijzerperson who teaches
- onderwijzeresperson who teaches
- docentperson who teaches
- docenteperson who teaches
- leerkrachtperson who teaches
- schoolmeesterperson who teaches
Esperanto instruisto, instruistino
- instruistoperson who teaches
- instruistinoperson who teaches
Estonian õpetaja
- õpetajaperson who teaches
Finnish opettaja, opettajatar
- opettajaperson who teaches
- opettajatarperson who teaches
- opetusindication; lesson
French professeur, maître d'école
- professeurperson who teaches
- maître d'écoleperson who teaches
- enseignantperson who teaches
- instituteurperson who teaches
German Lehrer, Lehrerin
- Lehrerperson who teaches
- Lehrerinperson who teaches
Greek δάσκαλος, δασκάλα
- δάσκαλος (dáskalos)person who teaches
- δασκάλα (daskála)person who teaches
Hawaiian kumu
- kumuperson who teaches
Hebrew מוֹרֶה, מוֹרָה
- מוֹרֶה (moré)person who teaches
- מוֹרָה (morá)person who teaches
Hindi अध्यापक, अध्यापिका
- अध्यापक (adhyāpak)person who teaches
- अध्यापिका (adhyāpikā)person who teaches
- शिक्षक (śikṣak)person who teaches
- शिक्षिका (śikṣikā)person who teaches
- आचार्य (ācārya)person who teaches
- आचार्या (ācāryā)person who teaches
- गुरु (guru)person who teaches
- उपाध्याय m टीचर (upādhyāy)person who teaches
- मुअल्लिम (muallim)person who teaches
- उस्ताद (ustād)person who teaches
Hungarian tanár, tanárnő
- tanárperson who teaches
- tanárnőperson who teaches
- tanítóperson who teaches
- tanítónőperson who teaches
- oktatóperson who teaches
- pedagógusperson who teaches
Icelandic kennari, kennslukona
- kennariperson who teaches
- kennslukonaperson who teaches
Indonesian guru, pengajar
- guruperson who teaches
- pengajarperson who teaches
Irish múinteoir
- múinteoirperson who teaches
Italian insegnante, docente
- insegnanteperson who teaches
- docenteperson who teaches
- professoreperson who teaches
- professoressaperson who teaches
- maestroperson who teaches
- maestraperson who teaches
- aioperson who teaches
- educatoreperson who teaches
- precettoreperson who teaches
Japanese 先生, 教師
- 先生 (sensei)person who teaches
- 教師 (kyōshi)person who teaches
Korean 선생, 선생님
- 선생 (seonsaeng)person who teaches
- 선생님 (seonsaengnim)person who teaches
- 교사 (gyosa)person who teaches
Latin docens, doctor
- docensperson who teaches
- doctorperson who teaches
- doctrixperson who teaches
- praeceptorperson who teaches
- praeceptrixperson who teaches
- magisterperson who teaches
- magistraperson who teaches
- litterātorperson who teaches
Latvian skolotāja, skolotājs
- skolotājaperson who teaches
- skolotājsperson who teaches
Lithuanian mokytojas, mokytoja
- mokytojasperson who teaches
- mokytojaperson who teaches
- dėstytojasperson who teaches
- dėstytojaperson who teaches
Malay guru, cikgu
- guruperson who teaches
- cikguperson who teaches
Māori māhita kura, kaiwhakaako
- māhita kuraperson who teaches
- kaiwhakaakoperson who teaches
Norwegian Bokmål lærer, lærerinne
- lærerperson who teaches
- lærerinneperson who teaches
- skolelærerperson who teaches
- frøkenperson who teaches
Polish nauczyciel, nauczycielka
- nauczycielperson who teaches
- nauczycielkaperson who teaches
- belferperson who teaches
Portuguese professor, professora
- professorperson who teaches
- professoraperson who teaches
- docenteperson who teaches
- liçãoindication; lesson
- ensinoindication; lesson
Punjabi ਅਧਿਆਪਕ, ادھیاپک
- ਅਧਿਆਪਕ (adhiāpak)person who teaches
- ادھیاپکperson who teaches
Romanian profesor, profesoară
- profesorperson who teaches
- profesoarăperson who teaches
- învățătorperson who teaches
Russian учи́тель, учи́тельница
- учи́тель (učítelʹ)person who teaches
- учи́тельница (učítelʹnica)person who teaches
- преподава́тель (prepodavátelʹ)person who teaches
- преподава́тельница (prepodavátelʹnica)person who teaches
- наста́вник (nastávnik)person who teaches
- наста́вница (nastávnica)person who teaches
Scottish Gaelic fear-teagaisg, neach-teagaisg
- fear-teagaisgperson who teaches
- neach-teagaisgperson who teaches
- bean-teagaisgperson who teaches
- muinearperson who teaches
- tidsearperson who teaches
Slovak učiteľ, učiteľka
- učiteľperson who teaches
- učiteľkaperson who teaches
Spanish enseñador, enseñadora
- enseñadorperson who teaches
- enseñadoraperson who teaches
- enseñanteperson who teaches
Swahili mwalimu, maalim
- mwalimuperson who teaches
- maalimperson who teaches
Swedish lärare, lärarinna
- lärareperson who teaches
- lärarinnaperson who teaches
- frökenperson who teaches
Tagalog guro, maestro
- guroperson who teaches
- maestroperson who teaches
- maestraperson who teaches
- titserperson who teaches
Tamil ஆசிரியர், குரு
- ஆசிரியர் (āciriyar)person who teaches
- குருperson who teaches
- வாத்தியார் (vāttiyār)person who teaches
Thai ครู, อาจารย์
- ครู (kruu)person who teaches
- อาจารย์ (aa-jaan)person who teaches
Turkish öğretmen, muallim
- öğretmenperson who teaches
- muallimperson who teaches
- hocaperson who teaches
Ukrainian учи́тель, учи́телька
- учи́тель (učýtelʹ)person who teaches
- учи́телька (učýtelʹka)person who teaches
- вчи́тель (včýtelʹ)person who teaches
- вчи́телька (včýtelʹka)person who teaches
- виклада́ч (vykladáč)person who teaches
- виклада́чка (vykladáčka)person who teaches
Urdu مُعَلِّم, ٹِیچَر
- مُعَلِّم (mu'allim)person who teaches
- ٹِیچَر (ṭīcar)person who teaches
- اُسْتاد (ustād)person who teaches
- اَدھیاپَک (adhyāpak)person who teaches
- اُسْتانی (ustāni)person who teaches
Vietnamese giáo viên, cô giáo
- giáo viênperson who teaches
- cô giáoperson who teaches
Welsh athro, athrawes
- athroperson who teaches
- athrawesperson who teaches
- dysgwrperson who teaches
Yiddish לערער, לערערין
- לערער (lerer)person who teaches
- לערערין (lererin)person who teaches
Zulu umfundisi, uthisha class 1a/2a
- umfundisiperson who teaches
- uthisha class 1a/2aperson who teaches
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with teacher
All rhymes →Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
teacher. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teacher
MLA
“teacher.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teacher. Accessed November 3, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “teacher,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/teacher.
Source: teacher on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.