- OE. speken, AS. specansprecan; akin to OF.ries. spreka, D. spreken, OS. spreken, G. sprechen, OHG. sprehhan, and perhaps to Skr. sphūrj to crackle, to thunder. Cf. Spark of fire, Speech
- To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to express thoughts by words; as, the organs may be so obstructed that a man may not be able to speak.Till at the last spake in this manner.Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth.
- To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse.That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set, as the tradesmen speak.An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a knave is not.During the century and a half which followed the Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English history.
- To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to adress a public assembly formally.Many of the nobility made themselves popular by speaking in Parliament against those things which were most grateful to his majesty.
- To discourse; to make mention; to tell.Lycan speaks of a part of Cæsar's army that came to him from the Leman Lake.
- To give sound; to sound.Make all our trumpets speak.
- To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by utterance; as, features that speak of self-will.Thine eye begins to speak.To say; tell; talk; converse; discourse; articulate; pronounce; utter.
