/ ˈlektʃə(r); NAmE / noun , verb
■ noun lecture (to sb) (on / about sth)
1.
a talk that is given to a group of people to teach them about a particular subject, often as part of a university or college course :
to deliver / give a lecture to first-year students
to attend a series of lectures on Jane Austen
a lecture room / hall
➡ note at speech
2.
a long angry talk that sb gives to one person or a group of people because they have done sth wrong :
I know I should stop smoking—don't give me a lecture about it.
■ verb
1.
[ v ] lecture (in / on sth) to give a talk or a series of talks to a group of people on a subject, especially as a way of teaching in a university or college :
She lectures in Russian literature.
2.
[ vn ] lecture sb (about / on sth) | lecture sb (about doing sth) to criticize sb or tell them how you think they should behave, especially when it is done in an annoying way :
He's always lecturing me about the way I dress.
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WORD ORIGIN
late Middle English (in the sense reading, a text to read ): from Old French , or from medieval Latin lectura , from Latin lect- read, chosen, from the verb legere .