discourse
discourse is defined in Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1913) with 11 senses, and appears in Roget's Thesaurus (1911) with 40 related terms. The full text of each entry is reproduced verbatim below.
Definitions
- 1.Conversation; talk. In their discourses after supper. Shak. Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse. Locke.
- 2.The art and manner of speaking and conversing. Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. Shak.
- 3.Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on duty.
- 4.Dealing; transaction. [Obs.] Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how We got the victory. Beau. & Fl.
- 5.To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason. [Obs.] "Have sense or can discourse." Dryden.
- 6.To express one's self in oral discourse; to expose one's views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse. Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear. Shak.
- 7.To relate something; to tell. Shak.
- 8.To treat of something in writing and formally.
- 9.To treat of; to expose or set forth in language. [Obs.] The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently and at large discoursed in the book. Foxe.
- 10.To utter or give forth; to speak. It will discourse mosShak.
- 11.To talk to; to confer with. [Obs.] I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it. Evelyn.
Source: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
Synonyms
Related terms (Roget's 1911)
- article
- canvass
- commentary
- commentator
- consideration
- critic
- criticism
- critique
- deal
- delve
- descant
- discoursive
- discursive
- discuss
- discussion
- disquisition
- disquisitionary
- dissert
- dissertation
- editorial
- essay
- essayist
- excursus
- explanation
- exposition
- expository
- expound
- forth
- handle
- hold
- homily
- inquiry
- into
- investigation
- justice
- leader
- leading
- lecture
- length
- memoir
Source: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
Related questions
Reverse-dictionary questions
Definition-first questions whose answer is discourse.
- What is conversation; talk. In their discourses after supper. Shak. Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse. Locke called?
- What is the art and manner of speaking and conversing. Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. Shak called?
- What is consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on duty called?
- What is dealing; transaction. [Obs.] Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how We got the victory. Beau. & Fl called?
- What is to exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason. [Obs.] "Have sense or can discourse." Dryden called?
- What is to express one's self in oral discourse; to expose one's views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse. Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear. Shak called?
- What is to treat of something in writing and formally called?
- What is to treat of; to expose or set forth in language. [Obs.] The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently and at large discoursed in the book. Foxe called?
- What is to utter or give forth; to speak. It will discourse mosShak called?
- What is to talk to; to confer with. [Obs.] I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it. Evelyn called?
Sources
- Definitions: Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, 1913 edition (public domain, via GCIDE / Project Gutenberg).
- Synonyms: Roget's Thesaurus, 1911 edition (public domain, via Project Gutenberg eBook #10681).
- Canonical URL: https://worddirectanswers.com/word/discourse
- Steward: Jason Burns