Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Speak?

\Speak\, v. i. [imp. {Spoke}({Spake}Archaic); p. p. {Spoken}({Spoke}, Obs. or Colloq.); p. pr. & vb. n. {Speaking}.] [OE. speken, AS. specan, sprecan; akin to OF.ries. spreka, D. spreken, OS. spreken, G. sprechen, OHG. sprehhan, and perhaps to Skr. sph[=u]rj to crackle, to thunder. Cf. {Spark} of fire, {Speech}.] 1. To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words; as, the organs may be so obstructed that a man may not be able to speak. Till at the last spake in this manner. --Chaucer. Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. --1 Sam. iii. 9. 2. To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse. That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set, as the tradesmen speak. --Boyle. An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not. --Shak. During the century and a half which followed the Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English history. --Macaulay. 3. To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to adress a public assembly formally. Many of the nobility made themselves popular by speaking in Parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty. --Clarendon. 4. To discourse; to make mention; to tell. Lycan speaks of a part of C[ae]sar's army that came to him from the Leman Lake. --Addison. 5. To give sound; to sound. Make all our trumpets speak. --Shak. 6. To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by utterance; as, features that speak of self-will. Thine eye begins to speak. --Shak. {To speak of}, to take account of, to make mention of. --Robynson (More's Utopia). {To speak out}, to speak loudly and distinctly; also, to speak unreservedly. {To speak well for}, to commend; to be favorable to. {To speak with}, to converse with. ``Would you speak with me?'' --Shak. Syn: To say; tell; talk; converse; discourse; articulate; pronounce; utter.
\Speak\, v. t. 1. To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter articulately, as human beings. They sat down with him upn ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him. --Job. ii. 13. 2. To utter in a word or words; to say; to tell; to declare orally; as, to speak the truth; to speak sense. 3. To declare; to proclaim; to publish; to make known; to exhibit; to express in any way. It is my father;s muste To speak your deeds. --Shak. Speaking a still good morrow with her eyes. --Tennyson. And for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak The maker's high magnificence. --Milton. Report speaks you a bonny monk. --Sir W. Scott. 4. To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in conversation; as, to speak Latin. And French she spake full fair and fetisely. --Chaucer. 5. To address; to accost; to speak to. [He will] thee in hope; he will speak thee fair. --Ecclus. xiii. 6. each village senior paused to scan And speak the lovely caravan. --Emerson. {To speak a ship} (Naut.), to hail and speak to her captain or commander.