Category:Speak

Speak, v. i. [imp. Spoke (spake ( archaic); p. p. Spoken (spoke, obs. Or colloq.); p. pr. & vb. n. Speaking.] Etym: [oe. speken, as. Specan, sprecan; akin to of.ries. spreka, d. spreken, os. spreken, g. Sprechen, ohg. sprehhan, and perhaps to skr. sphurj 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 cæsar'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 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.