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Learn vs Cram - What's the difference?

learn | cram |

As verbs the difference between learn and cram

is that learn is to acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an ability to do something while cram is to press, force, or drive, particularly in filling, or in thrusting one thing into another; to stuff; to crowd; to fill to superfluity; as, to cram anything into a basket; to cram a room with people.

As a noun cram is

the act of cramming.

learn

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) lernen, from (etyl) . Compare (etyl) lernen.

Verb

  • To acquire, or attempt to acquire knowledge or an ability to do something.
  • To attend a course or other educational activity.
  • * 1719 ,
  • For, as he took delight to introduce me, I took delight to learn.
  • To gain knowledge from a bad experience.
  • learn from one's mistakes
  • To be studying.
  • To come to know; to become informed of; to find out.
  • He just learned that he will be sacked.
    Usage notes
    * See other, dated and regional, sense of below.
    Synonyms
    * (l)
    Antonyms
    * (l) * (l)
    Derived terms
    * (l) * (l)

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) . Compare Dutch leren, German (m).

    Verb

  • *:
  • *:And whan she had serched hym / she fond in the bottome of his wound that therin was poyson / And soo she heled hym/ and therfore Tramtrist cast grete loue to la beale Isoud / for she was at that tyme the fairest mayde and lady of the worlde / And there Tramtryst lerned her to harpe / and she beganne to haue grete fantasye vnto hym
  • *1599 , (William Shakespeare), (Much Ado About Nothing) ,
  • *:Sweet prince, you learn me noble thankfulness.
  • *circa 1611 , (William Shakespeare), (Cymbeline), :
  • *:Have I not been / Thy pupil long? Hast thou not learn’d me how / To make perfumes?
  • *1993 , The Simpsons , (18 Feb. 1993) Lisa's thoughts:
  • *:That'll learn him to bust my tomater.
  • Usage notes
    Now often considered non-standard.
    Derived terms
    * (l)

    References

    * * * Family Word Finder Readers Digest Association Inc. NY 1975

    cram

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act of cramming.
  • Information hastily memorized; as, a cram from an examination.
  • A warp having more than two threads passing through each dent or split of the reed.
  • Verb

    (cramm)
  • To ; as, to cram anything into a basket; to cram a room with people.
  • To fill with food to ; to stuff.
  • To put through an extensive course of memorizing or study, as in preparation for an examination; as, a pupil is crammed by his tutor.
  • .
  • To , and to satiety; to stuff.
  • To make crude or study.
  • Derived terms

    * cram school

    Anagrams

    * *