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/bɪˈspiːk/
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Southern-England:
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rhymes with -iːk
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CMU ARPABET:
B IH0 S P IY1 K
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
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A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To speak about; tell of; relate; discuss.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, formal, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: betalk, chat, talk about, bechat, confer, bespeak, discuss, moot, talk over, treat
Antonyms: none provided
To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
to bespeak a calm hearing I bespeak your patience in advance.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To forbode; foretell.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To speak to; address.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, poetic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To betoken; show; indicate; depict; foretell; suggest; allude to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
This act bespeaks his kindness.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
To speak up or out; exclaim; speak.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
express the need or desire for; ask for
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
She requested an extra bed in her room She called for room service
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: request, call for, quest
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicate, pass on, pass, pass along, put across
Narrower terms: order, ask, encore, petition, demand, appeal, invoke, supplicate, apply, solicit, beg, tap, reserve, challenge, excuse, beg off, claim, invite, call for, ask in, desire, lay claim, arrogate, ask over, ask round, call, ask out, invite out, take out, hold, book
be a signal for or a symptom of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
These symptoms indicate a serious illness Her behavior points to a severe neurosis The economic indicators signal that the euro is undervalued
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: betoken, indicate, point, signal
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: tell
Narrower terms: bode, portend, auspicate, prognosticate, omen, presage, betoken, foreshadow, augur, foretell, prefigure, forecast, predict, mark
From Middle English bespeken, bispeken, from Old English *bespecan, besprecan (“to speak about, speak against, accuse of, claim at law, complain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisprekan (“to discuss, blame”), from Proto-Germanic *bisprekaną (“to speak about, discuss, blame”), equivalent to be- + speak. Cognate with Scots bespeke (“to beseech, speak or negotiate with”), Saterland Frisian bispreke (“to discuss”), West Frisian besprekke (“to discuss”), Dutch bespreken (“to discuss, review, debate”), German besprechen (“to discuss, review, talk about”).
Across languages
Translations 49 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Czech :
svědčit
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
Dutch :
bespreken
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
Esperanto :
priparoli
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
Finnish :
puhua
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
German :
besprechen
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
German :
diskutieren
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
German :
mitteilen
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
Russian :
обсужда́ть
(obsuždátʹ)
— (transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss
Czech :
sjednat si
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Czech :
zamluvit si
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Finnish :
varata
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Finnish :
sopia
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Finnish :
tilata
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
German :
vorbestellen
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
German :
arrangieren
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
German :
im Voraus reservieren
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
German :
im Voraus buchen
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Māori :
taupua
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Norwegian Bokmål :
forhåndsbestille
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Russian :
бронировать
(bronirovatʹ)
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Russian :
резерви́ровать
(rezervírovatʹ)
— (transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance
Czech :
sjednat si
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
Finnish :
pyytää
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
German :
bitten um
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
German :
erbitten
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
German :
anfragen
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
Norwegian Bokmål :
anmode om
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
Russian :
проси́ть
(prosítʹ)
— (transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour
German :
vorhersagen
— (transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell
German :
voraussagen
— (transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell
Russian :
предска́зывать
(predskázyvatʹ)
— (transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell
Finnish :
puhutella
— (transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address
German :
ansprechen
— (transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address
German :
sich richten an
— (transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address
Russian :
обраща́ться
(obraščátʹsja)
— (transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address
Czech :
svědčit
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Finnish :
kieliä
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Finnish :
osoittaa
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Finnish :
ilmaista
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
German :
hinweisen auf
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
German :
zeigen
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
German :
anzeigen
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Russian :
пока́зывать
(pokázyvatʹ)
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Russian :
отража́ть
(otražátʹ)
— (transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest
Finnish :
puhua
— (intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak
German :
mitteilen
— (intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak
German :
bekanntgeben
— (intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak
German :
aussprechen
— (intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak
Russian :
восклица́ть
(vosklicátʹ)
— (intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak
