v. [UN-2 3.]
1. trans. To cause (a person) to forget or discard previous knowledge. Occas. const. to with inf.
1532. Tindale, Expos. Matt. v.–vii., 36 b. Thou hast vntaught hir to feare God.
1650. Baxter, Saints’ R., III. 535. We have a double task; first to unteach them, and then to teach them better.
1802–12. Bentham, Ration. Judic. Evid. (1827), I. 8. The peasant wants only to be taught, the lawyer to be untaught.
1833. Q. Rev., XLIX. 72. Much of their time was employed in unteaching them to read.
1845. Keble, in A. Mozley, Lett. Newman (1891), II. 473. You have taught me so, and I scarce think you can unteach me.
1870. Emerson, Soc. & Solit., vii. 135. Every new step in improving the engine restricts one more art of the engineer,—unteaches him.
b. With double object. (Also in passive.)
1620. Sir T. Matthew, trans. St. Augustine’s Confessions, III. xii. 121. To teach me that which was good, and to vnteach me that which was otherwise.
1661. Boyle, Style of Script., 148. The Complaint was ordinary, That the Reading of the Bible untaught them the Purity of the Roman Language.
1732. Berkeley, Alciphr., V. § 24. Gentlemen are untaught by the world what they have been taught at the college.
1743. Francis, trans. Hor., Odes, II. ii. 19. But Virtue can the Croud unteach Their false, mistaken Forms of Speech.
1814. Byron, Lara, I. iv. His faults … Might be untaught him by his varied lot.
2. absol. To undo previous knowledge or teaching.
1531. Elyot, Gov., I. xv. It is difficulte to put out of the mynde that whiche is ones settilled,… and verily moche more to unteache than to teache.
1573. Tusser, Husb. (1878), 63. To teach and vnteach in a schoole is vnmeete.
a. 1589. Palfreyman, Baldwin’s Mor. Philos. (1600), 74. The … burthen beeing … verily much more to vnteach then to teach.
1839. Bailey, Festus, 317. Once—teach and unteach—nay, to use more arts Than would outdo the Devil of his throne.
3. To remove from the mind (something known or taught) by different teaching.
1562. Turner, Herbal, II. 57. I will be content … to vntech my error, whiche I haue taught before.
1633. T. Adams, Exp. 2 Peter, ii. 12. That the holy Ghost should sit in the Chaire, to crosse and unteach their principles.
1643. Sir T. Browne, Relig. Med., II. § 8. Wee doe but learne to day, what our better advanced judgements will unteach to morrow.
1709. O. Dykes, Eng. Prov. (ed. 2), 92. Over-grown Habits may be untaught by diligent Care.
1801. Monthly Mag., XII. 590. Must not the Anti-gallicans seek fresh sophists to unteach all their lessons of the last decennium?
1857. Ellis & Blackburn, Rep. Cases Q. Bench, VII. 190. Reasons … instilled into her in the process of unteaching those prayers.
Hence Unteaching vbl. sb.
1876. W. Cory, Lett. & Jrnls. (1897), 414. The inevitable unteaching of young men, the purging from delusion.
