speaker Hear it!

speaker Definition

speaker (spē′kər)

noun

  1. a person who speaks; esp.,
    1. a person who makes a speech or speeches in public
    2. the officer presiding over any of various lawmaking bodies
    3. ☆ the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives
  2. ☆ a book of selections for use as exercises in declamation
    1. a device consisting of a magnet and a diaphragm of paper, plastic, etc., for converting electrical signals to sound waves that are radiated into the air
    2. a boxlike enclosure holding one or more such devices

speaker Related Forms
speak′·er·ship′ noun
speaker Synonyms

speaker

n.

  1. One who delivers an address

    speechmaker, orator, lecturer, public speaker, keynote speaker, preacher, spellbinder, declaimer, rhetorician, platform orator, stump speaker, discourser, discussant, addresser, haranguer, demagogue, elocutionist, talker.

  2. A presiding officer; frequently capital

    chairman, spokesman, mouthpiece, presiding officer.

speaker Telecom Definition
A device containing a transducer that converts electrical signals (electric current) into sound waves (acoustic energy) for the production of sound. See also acoustics, current, microphone, and transducer.
speaker Usage Examples

Converse of object

  • invite: The invited speakers will deliver a series of four lectures each.
  • confirm: Confirmed Invited Speakers: L.O. Chua ( Berkeley, USA ), H. Takayasu ( Sony, Japan ).

Preposition: at

  • conference: Which is why I was pleased to discover that he's to be the keynote speaker at NATE conference 2005.
  • rally: In 1908 she was one of the speakers at a rally at Hyde Park that attracted a crowd of over 250,000.

Adjective modifier

  • native: Chinese native speaker, having good English language skills.
  • non-native: For non-native speakers the English requirement is IELTS 6.5 overall with no less than 6 in any of the bands.
  • motivational: Paul Sloane Price range from £ 2000 - 4000 Paul Sloane is renowned as a thought-provoking, entertaining and motivational speaker.
  • Gaelic: The number of Gaelic speakers in Scotland has reached an all-time low.
  • fluent: Nationalities: All - must be fluent English speakers.
  • plenary: Many of the original participants will be plenary speakers.

Modifies a noun

  • verification: For business and commercial purposes, advances in speaker verification and natural language understanding mean that new applications can be realized.
  • cabinet: Flying cradle A metal framework which is attached around a speaker cabinet, allowing it to be safely flown.
  • cable: Pound for pound it is often better bi-wiring because you can afford a much better quality speaker cable.

Noun used with modifier

  • keynote: Robin Cook was due to be the keynote speaker.
  • guest: Each meeting will also have a guest speaker who will talk us about some of the topics related to our new babies.
  • after-dinner: Our after-dinner speaker was Trevor Kerry, Professor of Education, University of Lincoln.
  • dinner: Charles is a regular on Call My Bluff and is a witty after dinner speaker.
  • key-note: Ken Cole, the key-note speaker, gave a briefing on how the LCE was driving the efficiency agenda.
  • satellite: Unlike its boxy rivals, the satellite speakers with the Genie surround sound system are sculptured from aluminum.

Preposition: of

  • dialect: According to recent surveys, the number of speakers of these dialects i rapidly decreasing.
speaker Quotes

His Majesty entered the House, and as he passed up towards the Chair, he cast his eye on the right hand near Ruskin the Bar of the House where Mr Pym used to sit; but His Majesty, not seeing him there (knowing him well) went up to the Chair and said,'By your leave, Mr Speaker, I must borrow your chair a little.'

—Rushworth,John

Mr Speaker,Ithink thenoble young manhas no business to make anyapology. He is a gentleman, and none such should be asked to make an apology, because no gentleman could mean to give offence.

—Roche, Sir Boyle

   The speaker, and the schoolmaster, and the third grown person present, all backed a little, and swept with their eyes the inclined plane of little vessels then and there 270 arranged in order, ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim.

—Dickens, CharlesJohn Huffam

One can scarcely imagine a speaker at a meeting of a county medical society discussing the possible elimination of some disease by public health measures, and then qualifying his observations by the statement that many practitioners make a living out of treating the disease in question; and that unless the physicians are vigilant to prevent the adoption of such measures, this source of business will be taken from them.Yet speakers at barassociationmeetings arefrequently heard tomake similar observations about the effect of proposed reforms.

—Sutherland, ArthurJr

   The speech is admirable, but the speaker is not to be trusted; for he has never been amid the blare of trumpets.

—Eudamidas   4c

Worst damnfool mistake I ever made was letting myself be elected Vice-President of the United States. Should have stuck†as Speaker of the House† Gave up the second most important job in Government foreight long years as Roosevelt's spare tire.

—Garner,John Nance

What,Mr Speaker! and sowearetobeggarourselvesfor fear of vexing posterity! Now, I would ask the honourable gentleman, and still more honourable House, why should we put ourselves out of our way to doanything for posterity; for what has posterity done for us? SeeAddison 7:40.

—Roche, Sir Boyle