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# teacher

noun (teacher, teachers)

«teacher» in the English dictionary: everyday and in Jewish tradition — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A teacher is a person whose job is to help pupils learn, at school or in a class. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m1)
2. Anyone who teaches you something can be your teacher, like a swimming teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m2)
3. «Experience is the best teacher» means you learn by doing. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m3)
4. (casual) Pupils say «Miss» or «Sir» (UK, Ireland, Australia) to a teacher, and «teach» as a joke; «teacher's pet» teases a pupil the teacher likes. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m4)
5. (rough) Pupils sometimes call a strict teacher names behind her back («old dragon»); it is rude and does not change the facts. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m5)
6. (formal) «Educator», «instructor», «member of teaching staff» and «the invigilator» (who watches an exam) are stiff words for a teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#m6)

### In the lessons

In school maths: a person in the story who gives things, divides pupils into groups, or is counted with pupils on a trip. In everyday life: class teacher, head teacher (principal), teaching assistant, a music teacher. In casual talk: «Miss said…», «sir's in a mood». In the exam voice: «a member of the teaching staff distributes…», «the invigilator». Phrases: «class teacher», «head teacher», «ask the teacher», «teacher's pet», «supply teacher» (a substitute).

### Examples

- The teacher has 30 pencils for 10 pupils. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x1)
- There are 4 teachers and 80 pupils. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x2)
- The teacher gives each child 3 stickers. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x3)
- The teacher splits 24 children into 6 groups. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x4)
- Our teacher reads us a story every afternoon. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x5)
- If you feel unsafe, tell a teacher. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x6)
- My piano teacher says I am improving. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x7)
- The teacher marked our tests. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x8)
- teacher said 3 × 4 is 7?? that's wrong innit (casual, wrong claim) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x9)
- Miss, can I go toilet? (casual, broken grammar) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x10)
- Shut it, teacher's pet. (rough) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x11)
- A member of the teaching staff distributes 24 exercise books equally among 6 groups; ascertain the number per group. (formal exam) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x12)
- “And what will the teacher say?” [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/#x13)

### Note

Countable: «a teacher». Call a teacher by name and title («Mrs Smith», «Mr Lee», in some places «Miss» or «Sir»). Maths: a person; often the one who shares (division) or gives (multiplication). Trap: when counting people on a trip, include the teachers. Trap: a teacher can make a slip too — check a claim like «3 × 4 is 7» instead of believing it. Formal «educator», «instructor» = teacher. Safety: a teacher is a trusted adult to tell when something is wrong.

## In Jewish tradition

In Sefer Yetzirah tradition Abraham is said to have learned from a teacher, Shem. In Job, Psalms and Chronicles a teacher is someone who instructs, and God is called the greatest teacher.

**Interpretation.** Legend says Abraham studied the book with Shem, Noah's son, for three years, showing that the book was passed from teacher to pupil. Tradition reads Job's question "who is a teacher like Him?" as saying that God is the source of all teaching.

### Examples

- The late Madame Blavatsky, my esteemed teacher of Theosophy, and my personal friend, at whose suggestion a friendly alliance between the Hermetic Order of the G. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x1)
- The late Madame Blavatsky, my esteemed teacher of Theosophy, and my personal friend, at whose sugges- tion a friendly alliance between the Hermetic Order of the G. (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x2)
- Get thee an associate, and look into it together, you will then understand." At once, Abraham went to his teacher Shem. and stayed wit him three years. (Mordell, The Origin of Letters and Numerals according to Sefer Yetzirah (1914)) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x3)
- Behold, God doeth loftily in His power; who is a teacher like Him? (Writings JOB.36.22, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x4)
- I have more understanding than all my teachers; for Thy testimonies are my meditation. (Writings PSA.119.99, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x5)
- And they cast lots ward against ward, as well the small as the great, the teacher as the scholar. (Writings 1CH.25.8, JPS 1917) [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/#x6)

### Note

Countable: «a teacher». Call a teacher by name and title («Mrs Smith», «Mr Lee», in some places «Miss» or «Sir»). Maths: a person; often the one who shares (division) or gives (multiplication). Trap: when counting people on a trip, include the teachers. Trap: a teacher can make a slip too — check a claim like «3 × 4 is 7» instead of believing it. Formal «educator», «instructor» = teacher. Safety: a teacher is a trusted adult to tell when something is wrong.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «teacher» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/T/teacher/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«teacher» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/teacher.html) on Mova free.
- [Trees and pragmatics of «teacher» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/judaism/T/teacher/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«teacher» in the Judaism dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/judaism/w/teacher.html) on Mova free.