The Collaborative International 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.]
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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. -
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. -
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. -
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. -
To give sound; to sound.
Make all our trumpets speak.
--Shak. -
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.
Usage examples of "to speak of".
Under the rising moon it was an inhospitable and airy place that seemed to speak of sylphs and elementals, a place where lichen struggled to grab a gray foothold.
We shall not say anything further of these places, but proceed to speak of the distinguished city of Ka-chan-fu.
This place not demanding any more particular notice, we shall proceed to speak of the city of Uguiu.
What I should have done, what I might have done it is useless to speak of here - for I did nothing.
Nothing else of a remarkable nature presenting itself, we shall proceed to speak of Maabar.
Its situation was probably to the north-west, as he afterwards proceeds to speak of places more remote, in a south-western direction.
Something (it is not possible to speak of someone in connection with so small a box) had been concealed inside, and had killed Professor Deeping whilst he was actually engaged in endeavouring to force it open.
He seemed to have vanished, and for some reason I hesitated to speak of him to Bristol.
Thus far, although she so palpably had tricked me, I had found myself unable to speak of her to Bristol.
If she chose not to speak of some matters, a new city grown, new Yilanè.
But when Kerrick looked around at their faces he saw only respect and belief and decided that this was neither the time nor the place for him to speak of these matters.
Only one thing was and he was determined to speak of that and that alone.
It was a good pup, was that Andrew Jackson, and would have made a name for hisself if he'd lived, for the stuff was in him, and he had genius -- I know it, because he hadn't had no opportunities to speak of, and it don't stand to reason that a dog could make such a fight as he could under them circumstances, if he hadn't no talent.
About the time of this escapade he wrote a letter telling of those doings, wherein, after speaking of his misadventure of falling from the wall, and of his acquaintance with the young ladies, he went on to speak of the matter in which he repeated his visits.
Then he paused for a moment or two, for it was strongly upon him to speak of a matter that had been lying in his mind all day--a matter that he had dreamed of much with open eyes during the long vigil of the night before.