Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Say?

\Say\ (s[=a]), obs. imp. of {See}. Saw. --Chaucer.
\Say\ (s[=a]), n. [Aphetic form of assay.] 1. Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack. [Obs.] If those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and says, as it were, of that final benefit. --Hooker. Thy tongue some say of breeding breathes. --Shak. 2. Tried quality; temper; proof. [Obs.] He found a sword of better say. --Spenser. 3. Essay; trial; attempt. [Obs.] {To give a say at}, to attempt. --B. Jonson.
\Say\, v. t. To try; to assay. [Obs.] --B. Jonson.
\Say\, n. [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. sa`gos. See {Sagum}.] 1. A kind of silk or satin. [Obs.] Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! --Shak. 2. A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth. [Obs.] His garment neither was of silk nor say. --Spenser.
\Say\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Said} (s[e^]d), contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n. {Saying}.] [OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sag[=e]n, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. s["a]ga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece tell, relate, Gr. 'e`nnepe (for 'en-sepe), 'e`spete. Cf. {Saga}, {Saw} a saying.] 1. To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare; as, he said many wise things. Arise, and say how thou camest here. --Shak. 2. To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a lesson. Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou hadst to say? --Shak. After which shall be said or sung the following hymn. --Bk. of Com. Prayer. 3. To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to. But what it is, hard is to say. --Milton. 4. To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; -- in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive; as, he had, say fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say ten miles. Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble? --Shak. {It is said}, or {They say}, it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain. {That is to say}, that is; in other words; otherwise.
\Say\, v. i. To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply. You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. --Shak. To this argument we shall soon have said; for what concerns it us to hear a husband divulge his household privacies? --Milton.
\Say\, n. [From {Say}, v. t.; cf. {Saw} a saying.] A speech; something said; an expression of opinion; a current story; a maxim or proverb. [Archaic or Colloq.] He no sooner said out his say, but up rises a cunning snap. --L'Estrange. That strange palmer's boding say, That fell so ominous and drear Full on the object of his fear. --Sir W. Scott.