speech

Meanings

Noun

• The faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the ability to speak or to use vocalizations to communicate.
• A session of speaking, especially a long oral message given publicly by one person.
• A style of speaking.
• Speech reported in writing; see direct speech, reported speech
• A dialect or language.
• Talk; mention; rumour.

Verb

• To make a speech; to harangue.

Related

Narrower meaning words

• after-dinner speech
• byspeech
• forespeech
• pressured speech

Origin

• From Middle English speche, from Old English spǣċ, sprǣċ, from Proto-West Germanic *sprāku ("speech, language"), from Proto-Indo-European *spereg-, *spreg-. Cognate with Dutch spraak ("speech"), German Sprache ("language, speech"). More at speak.