Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To teach the principles of Christian dogma, discipline, and ethics by means of questions and answers.
  • transitive verb To question or examine closely or methodically.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A catechism.
  • To instruct orally by asking questions, receiving answers, and offering explanations and corrections; specifically, so to instruct on points of Christian doctrine.
  • To question; interrogate, especially in a minute or impertinent manner; examine or try by questions.
  • Also spelled catechise.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb See catechise.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To give oral instruction, especially of religion; now specifically by the formal question-and-answer method; in the Church of England, to teach the catechism as preparation for confirmation.
  • verb To question at length.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb examine through questioning and answering
  • verb give religious instructions to

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English catecizen, from Old French catechiser, from Medieval Latin catēchizāre, from Late Greek katēkhizein, from Greek katēkhein : kata-, down, off, out; see cata– + ēkhein, to sound (from ēkhē, sound).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin catechizare, from Ancient Greek κατηχίζειν, from κατηχέω (katēkheō, "to teach (orally)"), from κατά (kata, "down") + ἠχέω (ēcheō, "to sound, to resound").

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Examples

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  • Here follows a copy of her letter: Thou wilt see by it, that every little monkey is to catechize me.

    Lovelace to Belford, Clarissa by Samuel Richardson

    December 14, 2007