Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
noun
Language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: uncountable
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Speech, conversation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Clipping of speaker point.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, clipping, countable, informal
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a low class bar, a speakeasy.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To have a conversation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive, reciprocal
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To communicate or converse by some means other than orally, such as writing or facial expressions.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To be able to communicate in a language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: stative, transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To be able to communicate in a language.
To be able to communicate in the manner of specialists in a field.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: broadly, stative, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To utter.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To communicate (some fact or feeling); to bespeak, to indicate.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To understand (as though it were a language).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: humorous, informal, sometimes, transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To produce a sound; to sound.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
Of a bird, to be able to vocally reproduce words or phrases from a human language.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To address; to accost; to speak to.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
express in speech
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: talk, utter, mouth, verbalize, verbalise
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicate, intercommunicate
Narrower terms: read, vocalize, vocalise, phonate, troll, begin, lip off, shoot one's mouth off, shout, whisper, peep, speak up, snap, snarl, enthuse, speak in tongues, swallow, verbalize, verbalise, whiff, talk of, talk about, blubber, blubber out, drone, drone on, bumble, stutter, stammer, falter, rasp, blurt out, blurt, blunder out, blunder, ejaculate, tone, inflect, modulate, deliver, present, generalize, generalise, chatter, piffle, palaver, prate, tittle-tattle, twaddle, clack, maunder, prattle, blab, gibber, tattle, blabber, gabble, yack, jaw, yack away, rattle on, yap away, open up, snivel, whine, murmur, mumble, mutter, mussitate, slur, bark, bay, rant, mouth off, jabber, spout, rabbit on, rave, hiss, sizz, siss, sibilate, cackle, babble, chant, intone, gulp, sing
verb
exchange thoughts; talk with
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: talk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicate, intercommunicate
Narrower terms: continue, go on, carry on, proceed, hold forth, discourse, dissertate, pontificate, orate, talk down, spiel, dogmatize, dogmatise, cheek, level, talk turkey, monologuize, monologuise, soliloquize, soliloquise, converse, chat up, flirt, dally, butterfly, coquet, coquette, romance, philander, mash, dish the dirt, gossip, rap
verb
use language
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: talk
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: communicate, intercommunicate
Narrower terms: run on, smatter, slang
verb
give a speech to
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: address
Antonyms: none provided
Narrower terms: blaze away, memorialize, memorialise, keynote, harangue
verb
make a characteristic or natural sound
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: sound
History
From Middle English speke, speken (“to speak”), from Old English specan (“to speak”). This is usually taken to be an irregular alteration of earlier sprecan, spreocan (“to speak”), from Proto-West Germanic *sprekan, from Proto-Germanic *sprekaną (“to speak, make a sound”), from Proto-Indo-European *spreg- (“to make a sound, utter, speak”). Finding this proposed loss of r from the stable cluster spr unparalleled, Hill instead sets up a different root, Proto-West Germanic *spekan (“to negotiate”) from Proto-Indo-European *bhégʾ-e- (“to distribute”) with *s-mobile, which collapsed in meaning with *sprekan ("to speak" < "to crackle, prattle") and so came to be seen as a free variant thereof. Cognates Cognate with Scots speak, speik (“to speak”), Saterland Frisian spreke (“to speak”), West Frisian sprekke (“to speak”), Central Franconian sjprèche (“to speak”), Dutch and Low German spreken (“to speak”), German sprechen (“to speak”), Luxembourgish spriechen (“to speak”), and also with Albanian shpreh (“to express, manifest, show”) through Indo-European.
Across languages
499 source translations are retained for this English entry.
