a. Versed in books; having knowledge derived from books. [ Often in a disparaging sense. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Whate'er these book-learned blockheads say,
Solon's the veriest fool in all the play. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being clear.

Syn. -- Clearness, Perspicuity. Clearness has reference to our ideas, and springs from a distinct conception of the subject under consideration. Perspicuity has reference to the mode of expressing our ideas and belongs essentially to style. Hence we speak of a writer as having clear ideas, a clear arrangement, and perspicuous phraseology. We do at times speak of a person's having great clearness of style; but in such cases we are usually thinking of the clearness of his ideas as manifested in language. “Whenever men think clearly, and are thoroughly interested, they express themselves with perspicuity and force.” Robertson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Imperfectly learned. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Learned or Learnt (l&etilde_;rnt); p. pr. & vb. n. Learning. ] [ OE. lernen, leornen, AS. leornian; akin to OS. linōn, for lirnōn, OHG. lirnēn, lernēn, G. lernen, fr. the root of AS. l&aemacr_;ran to teach, OS. lērian, OHG. lēran, G. lehren, Goth. laisjan, also Goth lais I know, leis acquainted (in comp.); all prob. from a root meaning, to go, go over, and hence, to learn; cf. AS. leoran to go. Cf. Last a mold of the foot, lore. ] 1. To gain knowledge or information of; to ascertain by inquiry, study, or investigation; to receive instruction concerning; to fix in the mind; to acquire understanding of, or skill; as, to learn the way; to learn a lesson; to learn dancing; to learn to skate; to learn the violin; to learn the truth about something. “Learn to do well.” Is. i. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now learn a parable of the fig tree. Matt. xxiv. 32. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To communicate knowledge to; to teach. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Hast thou not learned me how
To make perfumes ? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Learn formerly had also the sense of teach, in accordance with the analogy of the French and other languages, and hence we find it with this sense in Shakespeare, Spenser, and other old writers. This usage has now passed away. To learn is to receive instruction, and to teach is to give instruction. He who is taught learns, not he who teaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To acquire knowledge or skill; to make progress in acquiring knowledge or skill; to receive information or instruction; as, this child learns quickly. [ 1913 Webster ]

Take my yoke upon you and learn of me. Matt. xi. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

To learn by heart. See By heart, under Heart. --
To learn by rote, to memorize by repetition without exercise of the understanding. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Such as can be learned. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to learning; possessing, or characterized by, learning, esp. scholastic learning; erudite; well-informed; as, a learned scholar, writer, or lawyer; a learned book; a learned theory. [ 1913 Webster ]

The learnedlover lost no time. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men of much reading are greatly learned, but may be little knowing. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Words of learned length and thundering sound. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

The learned, learned men; men of erudition; scholars.

-- Learn"ed*ly, adv. Learn"ed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every coxcomb swears as learnedly as they. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. profound knowledge.
Syn. -- eruditeness, erudition, learning, scholarship. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who learns; a scholar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. leornung. ] 1. The acquisition of knowledge or skill; as, the learning of languages; the learning of telegraphy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The knowledge or skill received by instruction or study; acquired knowledge or ideas in any branch of science or literature; erudition; literature; science; as, he is a man of great learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

Book learning. See under Book.

Syn. -- Literature; erudition; lore; scholarship; science; letters. See Literature. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To learn wrongly. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To excel or surpass in learing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To learn out [ i. e., completely, utterly ]; to exhaust knowledge of. [ 1913 Webster ]

Naught, according to his mind,
He could outlearn. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men and gods have not outlearned it [ love ]. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To learn (a fact or skill) repetitively, beyond the point where it can be immediately recalled; in experimental psychology, to continue to learn beyond the point where the criterion of adequate learning has been reached. [ PJC ]

a. Too learned. -- O"ver*learn"ed, adv. -- O"ver*learn"ed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Learned by repetitive practice or memorization, beyond the point where it can be immediately recalled. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + learn. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To forget, as what has been learned; to lose from memory; also, to learn the contrary of. [ 1913 Webster ]

I had learned nothing right; I had to unlearn everything. Milner. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fail to learn. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. un- + learned. ] 1. Not learned; untaught; uneducated; ignorant; illiterate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not gained by study; not known. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not exhibiting learning; as, unlearned verses. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Un*learn"ed*ly, adv. -- Un*learn"ed*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]