From Middle English prechen, from Old French prëechier, precchier (Modern French prêcher), from Latin praedicō (“to proclaim, announce”, literally “to fore-assign, pre-dedicate”). Doublet of predicate.
The Latin word is also the source of Old English predician (“to preach”), Saterland Frisian preetje (“to preach”), West Frisian preekje (“to preach”), Dutch preken (“to preach”), German Low German preken (“to preach”), German predigen (“to preach”), Danish prædike (“to preach”), Swedish predika (“to preach”), Icelandic prédika (“to preach”), Norwegian Nynorsk preika (“to preach”).
Meanings
(slang) Used to express strong agreement (as if encouraging somebody to continue speaking).
– If you can't do the time, don't do the crime! – Preach!
From Middle English prechen, from Old French prëechier, precchier (Modern French prêcher), from Latin praedicō (“to proclaim, announce”, literally “to fore-assign, pre-dedicate”). Doublet of predicate.
The Latin word is also the source of Old English predician (“to preach”), Saterland Frisian preetje (“to preach”), West Frisian preekje (“to preach”), Dutch preken (“to preach”), German Low German preken (“to preach”), German predigen (“to preach”), Danish prædike (“to preach”), Swedish predika (“to preach”), Icelandic prédika (“to preach”), Norwegian Nynorsk preika (“to preach”).
Meanings
(obsolete) A religious discourse.
he make peace in his preaches and play with esteem 1939 May 4, James Joyce, Finnegans Wake, London: Faber and Faber Limited, →OCLC; republished London: Faber & Faber Limited, 1960, →OCLC:
From Middle English prechen, from Old French prëechier, precchier (Modern French prêcher), from Latin praedicō (“to proclaim, announce”, literally “to fore-assign, pre-dedicate”). Doublet of predicate.
The Latin word is also the source of Old English predician (“to preach”), Saterland Frisian preetje (“to preach”), West Frisian preekje (“to preach”), Dutch preken (“to preach”), German Low German preken (“to preach”), German predigen (“to preach”), Danish prædike (“to preach”), Swedish predika (“to preach”), Icelandic prédika (“to preach”), Norwegian Nynorsk preika (“to preach”).
Meanings
(intransitive) To give a sermon.
Our pastor can preach very well.
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. 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter V, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, page 26:
(transitive) To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue.
The Spirit of the Lord God is vpon me, therefore hathe the Lord anointed me: he hathe ſent me to preache good tidings vnto the poore,[…] 1560, [William Whittingham et al., transl.], The Bible and Holy Scriptures Conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. […] (the Geneva Bible), Geneva: […] Rouland Hall, →OCLC, Isaiah LXI:1, folio 304, recto, column 1:
(transitive) To advise or recommend earnestly.
My Mʳ preaches patience to him,[…] c. 1594 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Comedie of Errors”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i], page 98, column 1:
(transitive) To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching.
The Spirits of the Dead, / Quitting their mortal mansion, enter not, / As falsely ye are preached, their final seat / Of bliss, or bale;[…] 1801, Robert Southey, “The Ninth Book”, in Thalaba the Destroyer, volume II, London: […] [F]or T[homas] N[orton] Longman and O[wen] Rees, […], by Biggs and Cottle, […], →OCLC, page 149:
(intransitive) To give advice in an offensive or obtrusive manner.
Papa, don't preach, I'm in trouble, deep / Papa, don't preach, I've been losing sleep 1986, Brian Elliot, Madonna, “Papa Don't Preach”, performed by Madonna:
de predigen (give a sermon) · wa pirlodjî (advise or recommend earnestly) · it predicare (give a sermon) · mi kauwhau (give a sermon) · bg поучавам (advise or recommend earnestly) · gl predicar (proclaim by public discourse) · gl sermonar (give a sermon) · rmf rakkavaa deevelesko lau (give a sermon) · de predigen (proclaim by public discourse) · fr proclamer (proclaim by public discourse) · nn preika (give a sermon) · ga seanmóir a thabhairt (give a sermon) · hy քարոզել (advise or recommend earnestly) · ru пропове́довать (proclaim by public discourse) · wa pretchî (advise or recommend earnestly) · kix āchìm (give a sermon) · ar خَطَبَ (give a sermon) · sh propovijédati (give a sermon) · ar كَرَزَ (proclaim by public discourse) · lb priedegen (give a sermon) · sga pridchaid (give a sermon) · sv predika (advise or recommend earnestly) · el κηρύσσω (proclaim by public discourse) · sv predika (give a sermon) · is predika (advise or recommend earnestly) · arc ܟܪܰܙ (proclaim by public discourse) · nl verkondigen (give a sermon) · bg проповя́двам (give a sermon) · io predikar (give a sermon) · hu prédikál (give a sermon) · ar وَعَظَ (give a sermon) · la praedicō (proclaim by public discourse) · sw kutangaza (proclaim by public discourse) · pl głosić (proclaim by public discourse) · cmn 宣揚 /宣扬 (proclaim by public discourse) · nb preke (give a sermon) · pl kazać (proclaim by public discourse) · gd searmonaich (give a sermon) · zdj uhutuɓu (give a sermon) · cs kázat (give a sermon) · dsb prjatkowaś (give a sermon) · cop ⲕⲏⲣⲩⲥⲥⲉ (proclaim by public discourse) · mk проповеда (advise or recommend earnestly) · arc כְּרַז (proclaim by public discourse) · gv sharmanee (give a sermon) · hu prédikál (advise or recommend earnestly) · ru пропове́довать (give a sermon) · eo prediki (give a sermon) · sl prídigati (proclaim by public discourse) · fi saarnata (advise or recommend earnestly) · mi kauhau (give a sermon) · fr prêcher (give a sermon) · el κηρύσσω (give a sermon) · fr prêcher (proclaim by public discourse) · it predicare (advise or recommend earnestly) · sh propovijédati (proclaim by public discourse) · ka ქადაგებს (give a sermon) · got 𐌼𐌴𐍂𐌾𐌰𐌽 (give a sermon) · arc כְּרַז (proclaim by public discourse) · ro predica (give a sermon) · pt pregar (advise or recommend earnestly) · sh propovédati (proclaim by public discourse) · nl preken (give a sermon) · de predigen (advise or recommend earnestly) · es predicar (give a sermon) · gl predicar (give a sermon) · gl sermonar (advise or recommend earnestly) · cmn 講道 /讲道 (give a sermon) · fi saarnata (give a sermon) · ary خطب (give a sermon) · nl prediken (give a sermon) · rmf rikkavaa preediika (give a sermon) · gl proclamar (proclaim by public discourse) · it predicare (proclaim by public discourse) · gl predicar (advise or recommend earnestly) · grc κηρύσσω (give a sermon) · cy pregethu (give a sermon) · sl prídigati (give a sermon) · es predicar (advise or recommend earnestly) · de verkündigen (proclaim by public discourse) · is predika (give a sermon) · grc κηρύσσω (proclaim by public discourse) · es predicar (proclaim by public discourse) · gv preaçh (give a sermon) · ang predician (give a sermon) · hy քարոզել (give a sermon) · fi saarnata (proclaim by public discourse) · mk проповеда (give a sermon) · wa pretchî (give a sermon) · cs kázat (advise or recommend earnestly) · bg проповя́двам (proclaim by public discourse) · ga craobhscaoil (proclaim by public discourse) · pt pregar (give a sermon) · sh propovédati (give a sermon) · cmn 說教 /说教 (advise or recommend earnestly) · ka ქადაგება (give a sermon) · sk kázať (give a sermon)