speak

Language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group.

Noun

  1. Language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group.
    • corporate speak; IT speak
    • 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. - 2025 May 3, Kev, “Rocket...
    • There's a little corporate speak going on here, don't get me wrong. Assassin's Creed gets described as "more than a game" and "a platform for meaningful exploration and reflection wrapped in the excitement of...
  2. Speech, conversation.
  3. Clipping of speaker point.
    • We will deduct speaks for hesitation.

Origin

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...

Forms

speaks speake speke

Derived

artspeak autospeak cyberspeak diplomat-speak diplospeak doublespeak duckspeak farspeak Frogspeak lawyerspeak leetspeak mallspeak medspeak Newspeak newspeak nonspeak oldspeak Oldspeak speak-box therapy-speak Twitch-speak uwu speak weather speak

Noun dated

  1. a low class bar, a speakeasy.

Forms

speaks speake speke

Verb

  1. To communicate with one's voice, to say words out loud.
    • And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes. He said that if you wanted...
    • I was so surprised I couldn't speak.
    • You're speaking too fast.
  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.
    • He spoke of it in his diary.
    • Speak to me only with your eyes.
    • 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.
  5. To be able to communicate in a language.
    • He speaks Mandarin fluently.

    1. (by extension) To be able to communicate in the manner of specialists in a field.

      • Even those who did 'speak computer' did so sometimes in a less than fluent way which required a jump to be made from a press-the-right-button stage to having the confidence to experiment. - 1998, Nigel G Fielding,...
  6. To utter.
    • And they will deceive every one his neighbour, and will not speak the truth: they have taught their tongue to speak lies, and weary themselves to commit iniquity. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version),...
    • I was so surprised that I couldn't speak a word.
  7. To communicate (some fact or feeling); to bespeak, to indicate.
    • Their behaviour to each other speaks the most cordial confidence and happiness. - 1785, Frances Burney, Diary and letters of Madame d'Arblay, author of Evelina, Cecilia, &c., link:
    • There he sat, his very indifference speaking a nature in which there lurked no civilized hypocrisies and bland deceits. - 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “A Bosom Friend.”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American...
  8. To understand (as though it were a language).
    • Sorry, I don't speak idiot.
    • So you can program in C. But do you speak C++?
  9. To produce a sound; to sound.
    • Make all our trumpets speak. - c. 1606 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Macbeth”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and...
  10. Of a bird, to be able to vocally reproduce words or phrases from a human language.
    • Miles tremblingly confessed that it had, but to no purpose; a parrot being able to speak better in three weeks than a brazen head. - 1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 220:
  11. To address; to accost; to speak to.
    • [He will] thee in hope; he will speak thee fair. - 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Ecclesiasticus 13:6:
    • Each village senior paused to scan / And speak the lovely caravan. - 1847, R[alph] W[aldo] Emerson, “Threnody”, in Poems, Boston, Mass.: James Munroe and Company, →OCLC, page 239:
    • To oversee all the details yourself in person; to be at once pilot and captain, and owner and underwriter; to buy and sell and keep the accounts; to read every letter received, and write or read every letter sent; to...

Forms

speaks speaking spoke spake no-table-tags glossary speak speakest spokest speaketh - spoken speake speke

Synonyms

articulate talk verbalize babble blab chat chatter converse discuss jabber moot open one's mouth say speak yak yap yammer

Antonyms

be silent

Hypernyms

communicate

Hyponyms

blather bloviate blurt declare drawl drone expound gab gabble gasp mention orate parp pontificate prattle rabbit ramble rant rave roll schmooze speech speechify sputter

Related

speech utter

Derived

bespeak forespeak forspeak forthspeak misspeak outspeak overspeak public speaking speakable speaker speakeasy speakworthy re-speak unspeak unspeakable upspeak withspeak speak down speak for speak out speak to speak up actions speak louder than words as she is spoke