Speak Definition
Language, jargon, or terminology used uniquely in a particular environment or group.
- Used to call attention to a choice of words, and especially to the metaphoric or expressive nature of a word or phrase:
can't see the forest for the trees, so to speak.
- To speak condescendingly to:
She never spoke down to her audience.
- Reserved or requested:
Is that seat spoken for?
- Worthy of mention:
There's nothing new to speak of.
- in a manner of speaking; that is to say
Idioms, Phrasal Verbs Related to Speak
- so to speak
- speak down to
- spoken for
- to speak of
- so to speak
- speak for itself
- speak out
- speak to
- speak well for
- to speak of
Origin of Speak
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From Middle English speken (“to speak"), from Old English specan (“to speak"), alteration of earlier sprecan (“to speak"), from Proto-Germanic *sprekanÄ… (“to speak, make a sound"), from Proto-Indo-European *spreg- (“to make a sound, utter, speak"). Cognate with West Frisian sprekke, Low German spreken (“to speak"), Dutch spreken (“to speak"), German sprechen (“to speak"), and also with Albanian shpreh (“to utter, voice, express") through Indo-European.
From Wiktionary
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Probably originally from Newspeak, coined by George Orwell in his book 1984.
From Wiktionary
Middle English speken from Old English sprecan, specan
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
From (new)speak
From American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition
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