les ‧ son S2 W3 /ˈles ə n/ BrE AmE noun [countable]
[ Date: 1100-1200 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: leçon , from Latin lectio 'act of reading' , from legere ; ⇨ ↑ legend ]
1 . LEARNING A SKILL a period of time in which someone is taught a particular skill, for example how to play a musical instrument or drive a car:
piano lessons
have/take lessons
She’s started taking driving lessons.
lesson in/on
lessons in First Aid
lessons in road safety
2 . IN SCHOOL British English a period of time in which school students are taught a particular subject SYN class American English :
Lessons start at 9 o'clock.
French/physics/art etc lesson
I’ve got a double maths lesson next.
lesson in/on
Andrew gives private lessons in Spanish.
3 . EXPERIENCE something that provides experience or information that you can learn from and use
learn a lesson (=gain useful experience or information)
There were important lessons to be learned from these discoveries.
The government has failed to learn the lessons of history.
lesson to
The men’s courage and faith is a lesson to us all.
Now let that be a lesson to you all (=be careful to avoid having the same bad experience again) .
Her fate should be a salutary lesson (=one that teaches or warns you about something) .
4 . BOOK a part of a book that is used for learning a particular subject, especially in school:
Turn to lesson 25.
5 . CHURCH a short piece that is read from the Bible during a religious ceremony
⇨ somebody has learned their lesson at ↑ learn (5), ⇨ teach somebody a lesson at ↑ teach (6)
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meanings 1 & 2)
■ verbs
▪ take lessons
He started taking piano lessons at age four.
▪ have lessons
I have swimming lessons on Friday.
▪ go to a lesson ( also attend a lesson formal )
I have to go to my French lesson now.
▪ give lessons (=teach lessons)
She made a living giving private lessons in English.
▪ prepare a lesson
The teachers spend a long time preparing their lessons.
■ ADJECTIVES/NOUN + lesson
▪ a history/physics/maths etc lesson
I've got a history lesson this afternoon.
▪ a driving/swimming etc lesson
Dad said he'd pay for driving lessons as my birthday present.
▪ a piano/guitar etc lesson
I'd just started classical guitar lessons.
▪ a private lesson (=a lesson specially for one person rather than for a class)
He gave private lessons in mathematics at the weekends.