Speak
Speak , intransitive verb
[Old English speken, Anglo-Saxon specan, sprecan; akin to Old Frenchries. spreka, Dutch spreken, Old Saxon spreken, German sprechen, Old High German sprehhan, and perhaps to Sanskrit sphūrj to crackle, to thunder. Compare 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. [Archaic; Obsolete or Colloquial]
Till at the last spake in this manner.
Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.
2.
To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse.
That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set, as the tradesmen speak.
An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not.
During the century and a half which followed the Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English history.
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.
4.
To discourse; to make mention; to tell.
Lycan speaks of a part of Caesar's army that came to him from the Leman Lake.
5.
To give sound; to sound.
Make all our trumpets speak.
6.
To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by utterance; as, features that speak of self-will.
Thine eye begins to speak.
Collocations (4)
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?
Speak , transitive verb
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.
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.
Speaking a still good morrow with her eyes.
And for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak
The maker's high magnificence.
Report speaks you a bonny monk.
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.
5.
To address; to accost; to speak to.
[He will] thee in hope; he will speak thee fair.
each village senior paused to scan
And speak the lovely caravan.
Collocations (1)
To speak a ship (Nautical) , to hail and speak to her captain or commander.