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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Speak \Speak\, v. i. [imp. {Spoke}({Spake}Archaic); p. p.
{Spoken}({Spoke}, Obs. or Colloq.); p. pr. & vb. n.
{Speaking}.] [OE. speken, AS. specan, sprecan; akin to
OF.ries. spreka, D. spreken, OS. spreken, G. sprechen, OHG.
sprehhan, and perhaps to Skr. sph[=u]rj to crackle, to
thunder. Cf. {Spark} of fire, {Speech}.]
1. 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.
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Till at the last spake in this manner. --Chaucer.
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Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. --1 Sam. iii.
9.
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2. To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse.
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That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set,
as the tradesmen speak. --Boyle.
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An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a
knave is not. --Shak.
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During the century and a half which followed the
Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English
history. --Macaulay.
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3. To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to adress a
public assembly formally.
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Many of the nobility made themselves popular by
speaking in Parliament against those things which
were most grateful to his majesty. --Clarendon.
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4. To discourse; to make mention; to tell.
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Lycan speaks of a part of Caesar's army that came to
him from the Leman Lake. --Addison.
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5. To give sound; to sound.
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Make all our trumpets speak. --Shak.
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6. To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by
utterance; as, features that speak of self-will.
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Thine eye begins to speak. --Shak.
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{To speak of}, to take account of, to make mention of.
--Robynson (More's Utopia).

{To speak out}, to speak loudly and distinctly; also, to
speak unreservedly.

{To speak well for}, to commend; to be favorable to.

{To speak with}, to converse with. "Would you speak with me?"
--Shak.
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Syn: To say; tell; talk; converse; discourse; articulate;
pronounce; utter.
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Speak \Speak\, v. t.
1. To utter with the mouth; to pronounce; to utter
articulately, as human beings.
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They sat down with him upn ground seven days and
seven nights, and none spake a word unto him. --Job.
ii. 13.
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2. To utter in a word or words; to say; to tell; to declare
orally; as, to speak the truth; to speak sense.
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3. To declare; to proclaim; to publish; to make known; to
exhibit; to express in any way.
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It is my father;s muste
To speak your deeds. --Shak.
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Speaking a still good morrow with her eyes.
--Tennyson.
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And for the heaven's wide circuit, let it speak
The maker's high magnificence. --Milton.
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Report speaks you a bonny monk. --Sir W.
Scott.
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4. To talk or converse in; to utter or pronounce, as in
conversation; as, to speak Latin.
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And French she spake full fair and fetisely.
--Chaucer.
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5. To address; to accost; to speak to.
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[He will] thee in hope; he will speak thee fair.
--Ecclus.
xiii. 6.
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each village senior paused to scan
And speak the lovely caravan. --Emerson.
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{To speak a ship} (Naut.), to hail and speak to her captain
or commander.
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