speak
Forms
- present (v1)
- speak
- past (v2)
- spoke
- past participle (v3)
- spoken
- present participle
- speaking
- 3rd person singular
- speaks
- Plural
- speaks
Definitions
1.To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud.
- I was so surprised I couldn't speak.
2.To have a conversation.
- It's been ages since we've spoken.
3.To communicate or converse by some means other than orally, such as writing or facial expressions.
- Speak to me only with your eyes.
- He spoke of it in his diary.
- Actions speak louder than words.
4.To deliver a message to a group; to deliver a speech.
- This evening I shall speak on the topic of correct English usage.
1.Language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group.
- We'll go into more depth with all the specs shortly so anyone less well versed in espresso speak will understand what I'm harping on about, but firstly let's just talk about using the machine.
2.Speech, conversation.
3.Clipping of speaker point.(informal)
- We will deduct speaks for hesitation.
Frequency
Overall
Very common· #337
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Common
- General reading & writing
- Very common
- Academic
- Uncommon
- Literature
- Common
Related words
Etymology
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.