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Webster 1913 Edition


Preach

Preach

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Preached
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Preaching
.]
[OE.
prechen
, OF.
preechier
, F.
prêcher
, fr. L.
praedicare
to cry in public, to proclaim;
prae
before +
dicare
to make known,
dicere
to say; or perhaps from (assumed) LL.
praedictare
. See
Diction
, and cf.
Predicate
,
Predict
.]
1.
To proclaim or publish tidings; specifically, to proclaim the gospel; to discourse publicly on a religious subject, or from a text of Scripture; to deliver a sermon.
How shall they
preach
, except they be sent?
Rom. x. 15.
From that time Jesus began to
preach
.
Matt. iv. 17.
2.
To give serious advice on morals or religion; to discourse in the manner of a preacher.

Preach

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue.
That Cristes gospel truly wolde
preche
.
Chaucer.
The Lord hath anointed me to
preach
good tidings unto the meek.
Isa. lxi. 1.
2.
To inculcate in public discourse; to urge with earnestness by public teaching.
“I have preached righteousness in the great congregation.”
Ps. xl. 9.
3.
To deliver or pronounce;
as, to
preach
a sermon
.
4.
To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching.
[R.]
“As ye are preached.”
Southey.
5.
To advise or recommend earnestly.
My master
preaches
patience to him.
Shakespeare
To preach down
,
to oppress, or humiliate by preaching.
Tennyson.
To preach up
,
to exalt by preaching; to preach in support of;
as,
to preach up
equality
.

Preach

,
Noun.
[Cf. F.
prêche
, fr.
prêcher
. See
Preach
,
Verb.
]
A religious discourse.
[Obs.]
Hooker.

Webster 1828 Edition


Preach

PREACH

,
Verb.
I.
[L. proeco, a crier; precor.]
1.
To pronounce a public discourse on a religious subject, or from a subject, or from a text of Scripture. The word is usually applied to such discourses as are formed from a text of Scripture. This is the modern sense of preach.
2.
To discourse on the gospel way of salvation and exhort to repentance; to discourse on evangelical truths and exhort to a belief of them and acceptance of the terms of salvation. This was the extemporaneous manner of preaching pursued by Christ and his apostles. Matt.4. 10. Acts 10. 14.

PREACH

,
Verb.
T.
To proclaim; to publish in religious discourses.
What ye hear in the ear, that preach ye on the house-tops. Matt.10.
The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. Is.61.
1.
To inculcate in public discourses.
I have preached righteousness in the great congregations. Ps.40.
He oft to them preach'd
Conversion and repentance.
To preach Christ or Christ crucified, to announce Christ as the only Savior, and his atonement as the only ground of acceptance with God. 1 Cor.1.
To preach up, to discourse in favor of.
Can they preach up equality of birth?

PREACH

,
Noun.
A religious discourse. [Not used.]

Definition 2024


preach

preach

See also: preaçh

English

Verb

preach (third-person singular simple present preaches, present participle preaching, simple past and past participle preached)

  1. (intransitive) To give a sermon.
    • 1918, W. B. Maxwell, chapter 3, in The Mirror and the Lamp:
      One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.”  He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.
    A local Muslim used to preach from the Quran and hadith.
  2. (transitive) To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue.
    • Bible, Isa. lxi. 1
      The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek.
  3. (transitive) To advise or recommend earnestly.
    • Shakespeare
      My master preaches patience to him.
  4. (transitive) To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching.
    • Southey
      As ye are preached.

See also

Translations

Related terms

Noun

preach (plural preaches)

  1. (obsolete) A religious discourse.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Hooker to this entry?)