LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
verbsecond conjugation

doceō

doceō (present infinitive docēre, perfect active docuī, supine doctum)
Classical[ˈdɔ.ke.oː]Ecclesiastical[ˈdɔː.t͡ʃe.o]
№ 393 of the 1,000 commonest wordsMille Verba core vocabulary

Meaning

  1. ditransitiveto teach or instruct
    Omnium scientiārum prīnceps, Salmantica docet.The University of Salamanca, first in all fields of knowledge, teaches.
  2. ditransitiveto show or demonstrate
  3. ditransitiveto direct actors
  4. transitiveto produce

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

scientiam dō; magister discipulōs docet.
doceō -ēre docuī — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae
quī multa didicit; vir doctus multōs librōs lēgit.
doctus -a -um — in Mille Verba, Artēs et Litterae

Conjugation conjugation 2

active indicative
formpresentimperfectfutureperfectpluperfectfut. perfect
1st sg.doceōdocēbamdocēbōdocuīdocueramdocuerō
2nd sg.docēsdocēbāsdocēbisdocuistīdocuerāsdocueris
3rd sg.docetdocēbatdocēbitdocuitdocueratdocuerit
1st pl.docēmusdocēbāmusdocēbimusdocuimusdocuerāmusdocuerimus
2nd pl.docētisdocēbātisdocēbitisdocuistisdocuerātisdocueritis
3rd pl.docentdocēbantdocēbuntdocuērunt
docuēre		docuerantdocuerint
active subjunctive
active subjunctive
formpresentimperfectperfectpluperfect
1st sg.doceamdocēremdocuerimdocuissem
2nd sg.doceāsdocērēsdocuerīsdocuissēs
3rd sg.doceatdocēretdocueritdocuisset
1st pl.doceāmusdocērēmusdocuerīmusdocuissēmus
2nd pl.doceātisdocērētisdocuerītisdocuissētis
3rd pl.doceantdocērentdocuerintdocuissent
passive indicative
passive indicative
formpresentimperfectfuture
1st sg.doceordocēbardocēbor
2nd sg.docēris
docēre		docēbāris
docēbāre		docēberis
docēbere
3rd sg.docēturdocēbāturdocēbitur
1st pl.docēmurdocēbāmurdocēbimur
2nd pl.docēminīdocēbāminīdocēbiminī
3rd pl.docenturdocēbanturdocēbuntur
passive subjunctive
passive subjunctive
formpresentimperfect
1st sg.doceardocērer
2nd sg.doceāris
doceāre		docērēris
docērēre
3rd sg.doceāturdocērētur
1st pl.doceāmurdocērēmur
2nd pl.doceāminīdocērēminī
3rd pl.doceanturdocērentur
imperative
imperative
formactivepassive
pres. 2nd sg.docēdocēre
pres. 2nd pl.docētedocēminī
fut. 2nd sg.docētōdocētor
fut. 3rd sg.docētōdocētor
fut. 2nd pl.docētōte—
fut. 3rd pl.docentōdocentor
infinitives & participles
infinitives & participles
formactivepassive
present infinitivedocēredocērī
perfect infinitivedocuissedoctum esse
future infinitivedoctūrum essedoctum īrī
present participledocēns
docente, docentem, docentēs, docentī, docentia, docentibus, docentis, docentīs, docentium		—
perfect participle—doctus
docta, doctā, doctae, doctam, doctārum, doctās, docte, doctī, doctīs, doctō, doctōrum, doctōs
future participledoctūrus
doctūra, doctūrā, doctūrae, doctūram, doctūrārum, doctūrās, doctūre, doctūrī, doctūrīs, doctūrō, doctūrōrum, doctūrōs, doctūrum		docendus
gerunddocendī, docendō, docendumsupinedoctum, doctū

Phrases from Meissner's Latin Phrase-Book

nemo doctus
no man of learning.
homines docti
learned, scientific, literary men.
res ipsa docet
the very facts of the case show this.
usus me docuit
experience has taught me.
calamitate doctus
schooled by adversity.
haec fabula docet
this fable teaches us (without nos).
artem tradere, docere
to teach an art.
docere aliquem fidibus
to teach some one to play a stringed instrument.
11 more phrases
nemo mediocriter doctus
no one with any pretence to education.
bene latine doctus or sciens
a good Latin scholar.
vir ut temporibus illis doctus
a man of considerable learning for those times.
vir or homo doctus, litteratus
a man of learning; a scholar; a savant.
pueros elementa (prima) docere
to teach children the rudiments.
latinis litteris or latine doctus
acquainted with the Latin language.
res ipsa, usus rerum (cotidie) docet
everyday experience tells us this.
existimator (doctus, intellegens, acerrimus)
a (competent, intelligent, subtle) critic.
omnes docti, quivis doctus, doctissimus quisque
all learned men.
multi viri docti, or multi et ii docti (not multi docti)
many learned men; many scholars.
fabulam docere (διδάσκειν) (of the writer) (opp. fabulam discere—to study a piece, of the actor)
to get a piece played, rehearse it.

dŏcĕo, cŭi, ctum, 2, v. a. root da; Zend. dā, to know; strengthened, dak-; Gr. διδάσκω; Lat. disco,
I. to teach, instruct, inform, show, tell, etc. (for syn. cf.: edoceo, perdoceo, erudio, praecipio, instituo).
I. In gen., with double acc. of person and thing: pejor magister te istaec docuit ... illa, quae te docui, Plaut. Bacch. 1, 2, 55: hunc hominem cursuram, id. Trin. 4, 3, 9: aliquem artem, Cic. de Or. 2, 54: aliquem litteras, id. Pis. 30: aliquem ejusmodi rem, id. Quint. 25, 79: pueros elementa, Hor. Ep. 1, 20, 17 et saep.—Pass., with acc. rei: is reliqua frustra docetur, Quint. 4, 2, 90; 1, 5, 11; 3, 8, 70; 6, 2, 3; Hor. C. 3, 6, 21; id. S. 1, 6, 76 et saep.; cf.: doctus dogmam, Laber. ap. Prisc. p. 679 fin. P.; and: doctus militiam, Sall. H. Fragm. 1, 40, p. 224 ed. Gerl.—With inf.: docemur auctoritate domitas habere libidines, Cic. de Or. 1, 43, 194; 1, 57, 244; id. Fin. 2, 5, 15: docemur disputare, non vivere (= discimus), Sen. Ep. 95, 13: equi variare gyros docentur, Tac. G. 6; Sall. J. 85, 33; Nep. Epam. 2, 1; Liv. 21, 3, 6.—With acc. pers. and inf.: ut doceam Rullum posthac in iis saltem tacere rebus, in quibus, etc., Cic. Agr. 3, 2; so id. Phil. 2, 4, 8; Hor. S. 1, 1, 91; id. Ep. 1, 14, 30 al.; cf. ellipt. with abl. of instrument: Socratem fidibus (sc. canere), Cic. Fam. 9, 22, 3: aliquem docendum curare equo, armisque, Liv. 29, 1, 8; Zumpt, § 391 fin.—With acc. pers. and de, to instruct or inform one of: de ejus injuriis judices docere, Cic. Verr. 2, 4, 51: aliquem de aliqua re, id. Rosc. Am. 9, 26; 44, 127; id. de Or. 2, 24, 102; Sall. J. 13, 3 al. —With acc. pers. and rel. clause: doceant eum, qui vir Sex. Roscius fuerit, Cic. Rosc. Am. 9, 25; id. Att. 8, 2, 2; id. Fam. 3, 6, 5; 5, 3; Quint. 6, 1, 20 al.—With acc. pers.: studiosos discendi erudiunt atque docent, Cic. Off. 1, 44, 156; id. Div. 2, 2; id. de Sen. 9, 29; Quint. 2, 5, 13; Hor. S. 2, 2, 50; id. Ep. 1, 13, 1 et saep.—With acc. rei: coepit studiose omnia Docere, educare, ita uti si esset filia, Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 37; so, aliquid, Caes. B. G. 5, 42 fin.; Quint. 7, 10, 10; 9, 4, 137; Hor. A. P. 306 et saep.; cf. also: quod de lacu Albano docuisset, Liv. 5, 15; so with two acc., Caes. B. G. 7, 10, 3; Cic. Clu. 70, 198.—With acc. and inf.: docui per litteras, id nec opus esse nec fieri posse, Cic. Att. 16, 8; Caes. B. G. 5, 1, 7; 5, 28, 4; Quint. 1, 5, 43; Hor. S. 2, 3, 63 et saep.—Absol.: cum doceo et explano, Cic. de Or. 2, 19, 82; id. Or. 42, 143; Quint. 3, 4, 15; 3, 5, 2 et saep.; cf. also: Tyrannio docet apud me, Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 4 fin.
II. In partic.: fabulam, like the Gr. διδάσκειν, qs. to teach a play to the actors, to rehearse; hence, to produce, exhibit on the stage: minor fuit aliquanto is, qui primus fabulam dedit, quam ii, qui multas docuerant (Plautus et Naevius), Cic. Brut. 18, 73; id. Tusc. 4, 29, 63; Hor. A. P. 288; Gell. 17, 21, 42.—Hence, doctus, a, um, P. a., learned, skilled, versed, experienced in any thing (cf.: litteratus, eruditus, peritus, gnarus, scitus).—Absol.: doctus vir et Graecis litteris eruditus, Cic. Brut. 30, 114; cf. id. de Or. 1, 22, 102; 2, 74, 299: adolescentes humanissimi et doctissimi, id. Cael. 10, 24.—With ex: fuit enim doctus ex disciplina Stoicorum, Cic. Brut. 25.—With abl.: docti et Graecis litteris et Latinis, Cic. Brut. 46; 45 fin.; Sall. C. 25, 2; Mart. 10, 76. —With adv.: nec minus Graece quam Latine doctus, Suet. Gram. 7.—With gen.: fandi doctissima Cymodocea, Verg. A. 10, 225: legum atque morum populi Romani jurisque civilis, Gell. 13, 12, 1: sagittarum, Aur. Vict. Epit. 11: artis lanificae, Claud. in Eutr. 2, 381.—With acc.: (Maecenas) docte sermones utriusque linguae, Hor. C. 3, 8, 5: dulces modos (with citharae sciens), id. ib. 3, 9, 10: omnia, Stat. Th. 2, 692: litteras, Gell. 19, 9, 7.—With inf.: doctus sagittas tendere Sericas, Hor. C. 1, 29, 9; 3, 6, 38; 4, 13, 7; id. Carm. Sec. 75 et saep.—With ad or in: ad delinquendum doctior, Ov. Tr. 2, 256: in parum fausto carmine docta fui, id. H. 21, 182: Sapphica puella Musa doctior, more skilled in song, Cat. 35, 17: docta puella, Prop. 1, 7, 11; 2, 11, 6 (3, 2, 6 M.); 2, 13, 11 (3, 4, 11 M.).—Esp. as epithet of Catullus by other poets, Tib. 3, 6, 41; Ov. Am. 3, 9, 62: Verona docti syllabas amat vatis, Mart. 1, 61, 1; Ov. A. A. 2, 181.—As subst.: doctus, the man of skill.—Prov.: doctus in se semper divitias habet, Phaedr. 4, 21, 1; but class. only in plur.: doctī, ōrum, m., the learned: doctorum est ista consuetudo, Cic. Lael. 5, 17 et saep.—
2. Of things as subjects: frontes, Hor. C. 1, 1, 29: tibia, Prop. 2, 30, 16 (3, 28, 16 M.): carmina, Tib. 2, 3, 20; cf. vox, Ov. P. 2, 5, 52: voces Pythagoreorum, Cic. Tusc. 4, 1, 2: sermo, Plin. Ep. 7, 25, 3: prece, Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 135: manus artificis, Tib. 1, 8, 12; cf. id. 2, 1, 70; Ov. F. 3, 832; 6, 792: falx, Prop. 2, 19, 12 (3, 12, 12 M.) et saep.—
B. In Plaut. and Ter., knowing, cunning, shrewd, subtle: malum, callidum, doctum, Plaut. Ps. 2, 4, 35; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 43; id. Most. 1, 3, 122; 5, 1, 24 et saep.; Ter. Hec. 2, 1, 6; id. Eun. 4, 7, 21; cf. also, dolus, Plaut. Mil. 2, 1, 69; id. Ps. 1, 5, 70 al.—docte, adv.
1. Learnedly, skilfully (very rare; not in Cic.).— Comp., Hor. Ep. 2, 1, 33; Mart. 7, 46.—Sup., Sall. J. 95, 3.—
2. Cunningly, shrewdly, cleverly: docte et sapienter dicis, Plaut. Ep. 3, 3, 23: docte tibi illam perdoctam dabo, id. Mil. 2, 2, 103; id. Bacch. 4, 4, 43: docte sapere, id. Mil. 3, 1, 162; id. Most. 5, 1, 21 et saep.—Comp., Plaut. Mil. 4, 2, 99.

Origins

  1. Proto-Indo-European*deḱ-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*doḱ-éye-ti
  3. Proto-Italic*dokejō
  4. Proto-Italic*dokeō
  5. Latindoceō

Ancient Greek διδάσκω (didáskō)sl. Latin doceō From Proto-Italic *dokeō, from earlier *dokejō, causative of Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- (“to take”). The sense "to teach," presumably continues an earlier causative meaning "to make perceive." Also, the sense "rehearse, present on stage" is a semantic loan from Ancient Greek διδάσκω (didáskō). The participle form has been explained as the result of syncopation from earlier *doketos, though it has also been explained as the result of the affixation of -tus to the bare root doc-. Cognate with Ancient Greek δοκέω (dokéō, “to expect, suppose, seem”) and Ancient Greek δέχομαι (dékhomai, “to accept, receive”).

Descendants
  • Frenchduirefrom Old French duire
  • Old Occitandozer
  • Idodocar

Quick answers

What does doceō mean in Latin?
doceō, a verb, means “to produce”.
What are the principal parts of doceō?
doceō, docēre, docuī, doctum (second conjugation).
How do you pronounce doceō?
In classical Latin, [ˈdɔ.ke.oː]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈdɔː.t͡ʃe.o].
Where does doceō come from?
Proto-Indo-European *deḱ- → Proto-Indo-European *doḱ-éye-ti → Proto-Italic *dokejō → Proto-Italic *dokeō → Latin doceō.