Adjacent Words

Speak definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SPEAK, v.i. pret. spoke, [spake, nearly, obs.] pp. spoke, spoken. It is easy to see that the root of this word is allied to that of beak peak, pick.]
1. To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts bywords. Children learn to speak at an early age. The organs may be so obstructed that a man may not be able to speak. Speak, Lord , for thy servant hearth. I Sam. 3.
2. To utter a speech, discourse or harangue; to utter thoughts in a public assembly. A man may be well informed on a subject, and yet to diffident to speak in public. Many of the nobility make them selves popular by speaking in parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty.
3. To talk; to express opinions; to dispute. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for himself, when the knave is not.
4. To discourse; to make mention of. Lucan speaks of a part of Cesar's army that came to him from the Leman lake. The Scripture speaks only of those to whom it speaks.
5. To give sound. Make all your trumpets speak.
TO SPEAK WITH, to converse with. Let me speak with my son.
SPEAK, v.t.
1. To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter articulately; as human beings. They sat down with him on the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spoke a word to him. Job 2. Speak the word, and my son shall be healed. Matthew 8.
2. To declare; to proclaim; to celebrate. It is my father's music to speak your deeds.
3. To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in conversation. A man may know how to read and to understand a language which he cannot speak.
4. To address; to accost. He will smile upon thee, put thee in hope, and speak thee fair.
5. To exhibit; to make known. Let heav'n's wide circuit speak the Maker's high magnificence.
6. To express silently or by signs. The lady's looks or eyes speak the meaning or wishes of her heart.
7. To communicate; as, to speak peace to the soul.
TO SPEAK A SHIP, to hail and speak to her captain or commander. [Note. We say, to speak a word or syllable, to speak a sentence, an oration, piece, composition, or a dialogue, to speak a man's praise, etc.; but we never say, to speak an argument, a sermon or a story.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: express in speech; "She talks a lot of nonsense"; "This depressed patient does not verbalize" [syn: talk, speak, utter, mouth, verbalize, verbalise]
2: exchange thoughts; talk with; "We often talk business"; "Actions talk louder than words" [syn: talk, speak]
3: use language; "the baby talks already"; "the prisoner won't speak"; "they speak a strange dialect" [syn: speak, talk]
4: give a speech to; "The chairman addressed the board of trustees" [syn: address, speak]
5: make a characteristic or natural sound; "The drums spoke"

Merriam Webster's

verb (spoke; spoken; speaking) Etymology: Middle English speken, from Old English sprecan, specan; akin to Old High German sprehhan to speak, Greek spharageisthai to crackle Date: before 12th century intransitive verb 1. a. to utter words or articulate sounds with the ordinary voice ; talk b. (1) to express thoughts, opinions, or feelings orally (2) to extend a greeting (3) to be friendly enough to engage in conversation <still were not speaking after the dispute> c. (1) to express oneself before a group (2) to address one's remarks <speak to the issue> 2. a. to make a written statement <his diaries…spoke…of his entrancement with death — Sy Kahn> b. to use such an expression — often used in the phrase so to speak <was at the enemy's gates, so to speak — C. S. Forester> c. to serve as spokesperson <spoke for the whole group> 3. a. to express feelings by other than verbal means <actions speak louder than words> b. signal c. to be interesting or attractive ; appeal <great music…speaks directly to the emotions — A. N. Whitehead> 4. to make a request or claim — used with for; usually used in passive constructions <the seat was already spoken for> 5. to make a characteristic or natural sound <all at once the thunder spoke — George Meredith> 6. a. testify b. to be indicative or suggestive <his gold…spoke of riches in the land — Julian Dana> transitive verb 1. a. (1) to utter with the speaking voice ; pronounce (2) to give a recitation of ; declaim b. to express orally ; declare <free to speak their minds> c. address, accost; especially hail 2. to make known in writing ; state 3. to use or be able to use in speaking <speaks Spanish> 4. to indicate by other than verbal means 5. archaic describe, depict • speakable adjective

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v. (past spoke; past part. spoken) 1 intr. make articulate verbal utterances in an ordinary (not singing) voice. 2 tr. a utter (words). b make known or communicate (one's opinion, the truth, etc.) in this way (never speaks sense). 3 intr. a (foll. by to, with) hold a conversation (spoke to him for an hour; spoke with them about their work). b (foll. by of) mention in writing etc. (speaks of it in his novel). c (foll. by for) articulate the feelings of (another person etc.) in speech or writing (speaks for our generation). 4 intr. (foll. by to) a address; converse with (a person etc.). b speak in confirmation of or with reference to (spoke to the resolution; can speak to his innocence). c colloq. reprove (spoke to them about their lateness). 5 intr. make a speech before an audience etc. (spoke for an hour on the topic; has a good speaking voice). 6 tr. use or be able to use (a specified language) (cannot speak French). 7 intr. (of a gun, a musical instrument, etc.) make a sound. 8 intr. (usu. foll. by to) poet. communicate feeling etc., affect, touch (the sunset spoke to her). 9 intr. (of a hound) bark. 10 tr. hail and hold communication with (a ship). 11 tr. archaic a (of conduct etc.) show (a person) to be (his conduct speaks him generous). b be evidence of (the loud laugh speaks the vacant mind). Phrases and idioms: not (or nothing) to speak of not (or nothing) worth mentioning; practically not (or nothing). speak for itself need no supporting evidence. speak for oneself 1 give one's own opinions. 2 not presume to speak for others. speak one's mind speak bluntly or frankly. speak out speak loudly or freely, give one's opinion. speak up = speak out. speak volumes (of a fact etc.) be very significant. speak volumes (or well etc.) ) for 1 be abundant evidence of. 2 place in a favourable light. Derivatives: speakable adj. Etymology: OE sprecan, later specan

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Speak Speak, v. i. [imp. Spoke(SpakeArchaic); 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.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Speak 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.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(speaks, speaking, spoke, spoken) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you speak, you use your voice in order to say something. He tried to speak, but for once, his voice had left him... I rang the hotel and spoke to Louie... She says she must speak with you at once... She cried when she spoke of Oliver. ...as I spoke these idiotic words. VERB: V, V to/with n, V to/with n, V of/about n, V n • spoken ...a marked decline in the standards of written and spoken English in Britain. ADJ: ADJ n 2. When someone speaks to a group of people, they make a speech. When speaking to the seminar Mr Franklin spoke of his experience, gained on a recent visit to Trinidad... He's determined to speak at the Democratic Convention... The President spoke of the need for territorial compromise. VERB: V to n, V, V of n 3. If you speak for a group of people, you make their views and demands known, or represent them. He said it was the job of the Church to speak for the underprivileged... I speak for all 7,000 members of our organization... VERB: V for n, V for n 4. If you speak a foreign language, you know the language and are able to have a conversation in it. He doesn't speak English... VERB: V n 5. People sometimes mention something that has been written by saying what the author speaks of. Throughout the book Liu speaks of the abuse of Party power... St Paul speaks of the body as the 'temple of the Holy Spirit'. VERB: V of n, V of n as n 6. If two people are not speaking, they no longer talk to each other because they have quarrelled. He is not speaking to his mother because of her friendship with his ex-wife... The co-stars are still not speaking. V-RECIP: with neg, V to n, pl-n V 7. If you say that something speaks for itself, you mean that its meaning or quality is so obvious that it does not need explaining or pointing out. ...the figures speak for themselves–low order books, bleak prospects at home and a worsening outlook for exports... VERB: no cont, V for pron-refl 8. see also speaking 9. If you say 'Speak for yourself' when someone has said something, you mean that what they have said is only their opinion or applies only to them. (INFORMAL) 'We're not blaming you,' Kate said. 'Speak for yourself,' Boris muttered. CONVENTION 10. If a person or thing is spoken for or has been spoken for, someone has claimed them or asked for them, so no-one else can have them. She'd probably drop some comment about her 'fiancé' into the conversation so that he'd think she was already spoken for... PHRASE: V inflects 11. Nothing to speak of means 'hardly anything' or 'only unimportant things'. They have no weaponry to speak of... 'Any fresh developments?'—'Nothing to speak of.' PHRASE: n PHR, with brd-neg 12. If you speak well of someone or speak highly of someone, you say good things about them. If you speak ill of someone, you criticize them. Both spoke highly of the Russian president... It seemed she found it difficult to speak ill of anyone. PHRASE: V inflects, PHR n 13. You use so to speak to draw attention to the fact that you are describing or referring to something in a way that may be amusing or unusual rather than completely accurate. I ought not to tell you but I will, since you're in the family, so to speak... PHRASE: PHR with cl 14. If you are on speaking terms with someone, you are quite friendly with them and often talk to them. For a long time her mother and her grandmother had hardly been on speaking terms. PHRASE: usu v-link PHR, oft PHR with n 15. to speak your mind: see mind to speak volumes: see volume

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. v. n. 1. Articulate, enunciate, talk with articulate sounds. 2. Talk, dispute, argue, converse, say, discourse. 3. Plead, spout, hold forth, make a speech, discourse, harangue, declaim. 4. Treat, make mention, discourse, tell. 5. Sound, resound, give sound. II. v. a. 1. Utter, express, deliver, pronounce, articulate. 2. Tell, say, declare, announce. 3. Announce, make known, spread abroad, proclaim, declare, celebrate. 4. Talk, converse in. 5. Accost, address, greet. 6. Exhibit, declare, make known. 7. Indicate, express by signs, communicate. 8. (Naut.) Hail.

1811 Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue

Any thing stolen. He has made a good speak; he has stolen something considerable.

Moby Thesaurus

accost, acquaint, act for, address, admonish, advert to, advertise, advertise of, advise, affect, affirm, allege, allude to, announce, annunciate, apostrophize, appeal to, apprise, approach, argue, articulate, as it were, ask for, assert, assever, asseverate, aver, avouch, avow, bandy words, be in connection, be in contact, beat the drum, beg, bespeak, bespoke, betoken, blurt, blurt out, break silence, brief, bring word, buttonhole, call attention to, call to, cant, chatter, chew the fat, chew the rag, chin, chosen, colloque, colloquialize, colloquize, come out, comment, commerce with, commune with, communicate, communicate with, confab, confabulate, contend, converse, converse with, convey, deal with, declaim, declare, defend, deliver an address, demand, descant, dilate, dip, dip the ensign, disclose, discourse, discourse with, discuss, drawl, dress ship, emit a sound, engaged, enlighten, enunciate, examine, exchange colors, exclaim, expatiate, express, familiarize, figuratively speaking, flag, flag down, flash, gab, gasp, give a signal, give a talk, give notice, give the facts, give the nod, give voice, give word, glance, greet, hail, hail and speak, half-mast, halloo, have, have dealings with, have intercourse, have truck with, hoist a banner, hold, hold communication, indicate, influence, inform, insist, instruct, interchange, intercommunicate, interject, invoke, issue a manifesto, jargon, jargonize, kick, lay down, leave word, lecture, leer, let drop, let fall, let know, maintain, make a noise, make a sign, make a signal, make a sound, make known, make oneself heard, make reference to, manifesto, mention, mention to, mouth, mumble, murmur, muse, mutter, nod, noise, note, notify, nudge, observe, opine, patter, perorate, platform, plead for, poke, profess, pronounce, protest, put, put it, raise a cry, rebuke, recommend, refer to, reflect, remark, report, represent, reprimand, reprove, request, require, reserved, resound, reveal, salute, say, scold, selected, send word, serve notice, set aside, set down, shoot the breeze, shout, sign, signal, signalize, signify, so to speak, soapbox, sound, sound an alarm, sound the trumpet, speak fair, speak for, speak for itself, speak out, speak to, speak up, speak with, speechify, splutter, spout, stand for, stand on, stand up for, state, stick up for, stump, submit, support, symbolize, take a stand, take aside, take counsel with, take the floor, take the stump, talk, talk about, talk to, talk together, tell, touch, touch on, touch upon, traffic with, treat of, unfurl a flag, uphold, use, use language, utter, verbalize, verse, visit with, vocalize, voice, wag the tongue, warn, wave, wave a flag, wave the hand, whisper, wink