Dictionary

catechize en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (US) audio
• /ˈkatɪˌkaɪz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• /ˈkætɪˌkaɪz/ (General-American)

Etymology

Derived from Latin catēchizāre, from Ancient Greek κατηχίζω (katēkhízō), from κατηχέω (katēkhéō, “to teach (orally)”), from κατά (katá, “down”) + ἠχέω (ēkhéō, “to sound, to resound”).

Meanings

1. (transitive) To give oral instruction, especially of religion; (specifically) by the formal question-and-answer method; in the Church of England and Roman Catholic Church, to teach the catechism as preparation for confirmation.
2. (transitive) To question at length.
   • Putting a strong American inflection into the French which I usually talked with an unmistakable British accent, I catechised the Baron as to the date of the church's building, its dimensions, and other details which an American tourist would be certain to want to know. 1910, Saki [pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Soul of Laploshka”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 73:
   • She promised herself to ascertain thoroughly, after they should be comfortably settled in the ship, the animus with which the book was to be written. She was a very good sailor and she liked to talk at sea; there her husband would not be able to escape from her, and she foresaw the manner in which she should catechise him. 1888 September 29, Henry James, “[The Modern Warning.] Chapter V.”, in The Aspern Papers; Louisa Pallant; The Modern Warning, London; New York, N.Y.: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC, page 260:

Forms

Deriveds

catechizable · catechizer · catechization · uncatechized

Translations (17)

es catequizar (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · fr catéchiser (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · de katechisieren (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · de gründlich ausfragen (question at length) · pt catequizar (question at length) · eo katekizi (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · de ausgiebig befragen (question at length) · eo kateĥizi (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · pt catequizar (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · ca catequitzar (give oral instruction, especially of religion) · fr catéchiser (question at length) · bg разпитвам (question at length) · ru тща́тельно выспрашивать (question at length) · eo kateĥizi (question at length) · eo katekizi (question at length) · ru допра́шивать (question at length) · nl langdurig ondervragen (question at length)