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talk - definition and meaning
Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To exchange thoughts or opinions in spoken or sign language; converse: synonym: speak.
- intransitive verb To utter or pronounce words.
- intransitive verb To imitate the sounds of human speech.
- intransitive verb To express one's thoughts or emotions by means of spoken language.
- intransitive verb To convey one's thoughts in a way other than by spoken words.
- intransitive verb To express one's thoughts or feelings in writing.
- intransitive verb Usage Problem To convey information in text.
- intransitive verb To negotiate with someone; parley.
- intransitive verb To consult or confer with someone.
- intransitive verb To spread rumors; gossip.
- intransitive verb To allude to something.
- intransitive verb To reveal information concerning oneself or others, especially under pressure.
- intransitive verb Informal To be efficacious.
- intransitive verb To utter or pronounce (words).
- intransitive verb To speak about or discuss (something) or give expression to (something).
- intransitive verb Used to emphasize the extent or seriousness of something being mentioned.
- intransitive verb To speak or know how to speak (a language or a language variety).
- intransitive verb To cause (someone) to be in a certain state or to do something by talking.
- noun An exchange of ideas or opinions; a conversation.
- noun A speech or lecture.
- noun Hearsay, rumor, or speculation.
- noun A subject of conversation.
- noun A conference or negotiation.
- noun A particular manner of speech.
- noun Empty speech or unnecessary discussion.
- noun Jargon or slang.
- noun Something, such as the sounds of animals, felt to resemble human talk.
- idiom (talk big) To brag.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
[Middle English talken; see del- in Indo-European roots.]
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
From Middle English talken, talkien, from Old English *tealcian (“to talk, chat”), from Proto-Germanic *talkōnan (“to talk, chatter”), frequentative form of Proto-Germanic *talōnan (“to count, recount, tell”), from Proto-Indo-European *dol-, *del- (“to aim, calculate, adjust, count”). Cognate with Scots talk ("to talk"), Eastern Frisian talken ("to talk, chat"), Low German Talk ("talk"). Related also to Danish tale ("to talk, speak"), Swedish tala ("to talk, speak, say, chatter"), Icelandic tala ("to talk"), Old English talian ("to count, calculate, reckon, account, consider, think, esteem, value; argue; tell, relate; impute, assign"). More at tale.
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Examples
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Now I'm going to continue educating my 8 month old on love the world, but don't talk to strangers..talk to me about sex..
"Prop 8 - The Musical" Calamity Jen 2008
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Of the slew of candidates and wannabee candidates running for the grand prize of President, how many really \ 'talk the talk\', let alone \ 'walk the walk\'?
While Rome Burns 2007
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Talkers talk or speak _words_ or _talk_; Walkers walk _walkings_ or _walks_; The rain rains
English Grammar in Familiar Lectures Samuel Kirkham
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Verbs are inflected or changed to indicate the time of the action as past, present, or future; as, _I talk, I talked, I shall talk_, etc.
Practical Grammar and Composition Thomas Wood
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Momentous questions should be thrust aside until later, and the talk should be -- well, _talk_, not arguing, quarreling, or scandal-mongering.
The Book of Business Etiquette Nella Henney
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And yet these momentary chances we covet; and spend our years, and passions, and powers in pursuit of little more than these; while, meantime, there is a society continually open to us, of people who will talk to us as long as we like, whatever our rank or occupation; talk to us in the best words they can choose, and of the things nearest their hearts.
Sesame and Lilies. Lecture I.-Sesame: Of Kings’ Treasuries 1909
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Join a debating society -- talk, _talk_, _TALK_, and always extemporize.
The Art of Public Speaking Dale Carnagey 1906
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The Happy Hexagons met, of course, to study Texas, and to talk Texas; though, as Bertha Brown's brother, Charlie, somewhat impertinently declared, they did not need to meet to _talk_ Texas -- they did that without any meeting!
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Then he began to talk -- to _talk_, not to preach, speaking every word with an inflection of the truest sincerity.
The Lady of the Basement Flat George de Horne Vaizey 1887
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"I beg of you in God's name to talk to me -- to _talk_ to me!"
The Finer Grain Henry James 1879
Related Words
synonyms (387)
Words with the same meaning
- accent
- accents
- address
- advertise
- after-dinner speech
- air
- allocution
- analyze
- argot
- assignment
- babble
- back-fence gossip
- balderdash
- balls
- ballyhoo
- bat the breeze
- be in connection
- be in contact
- be indiscreet
- be unguarded
- belittle
- betray
- betray a confidence
- blab
- blabber
- blather
- blether
- blurt
- blurt out
- bluster
- boast
- bosh
- brag
- bring round
- bruit
- bull
- bull session
- bullshit
- bunk
- bunkum
- buzz
- cackle
- canard
- cant
- canvass
- causerie
- chalk talk
- chat
- chatter
- chin
- chinfest
- chitchat
- choice of words
- clack
- claptrap
- clatter
- colloque
- colloquialize
- colloquy
- come clean
- comment
- comment upon
- commerce with
- common talk
- commune with
- communicate
- communicate with
- communication
- composition
- confab
- confabulate
- confabulation
- confer
- conference
- confess
- consider
- consult
- consultation
- controvert
- conversation
- converse
- converse with
- convince
- crap
- criticize
- crow
- cry
- deal with
- debate
- declaim
- declamation
- deliberate
- deliberate upon
- deliberation
- deliver an address
- denigrate
- deprecate
- depreciate
- dialect
- dialogue
- diatribe
- diction
- diminish
- discourse
- discourse about
- discuss
- discussion
- disparage
- disquisition
- dissertation
- dither
- dope
- duologue
- elocution
- eulogy
- exaggerate
- examine
- exchange
- exchange views
- exercise
- exhortation
- exposition
- expression
- filibuster
- flap
- flying rumor
- forensic
- forensic address
- formal speech
- formulation
- funeral oration
- gab
- gabble
- gas
- gibber
- gibble-gabble
- give a talk
- give away
- go into
- go on
- gossip
- gossiping
- gossipmongering
- gossipry
- grammar
- grapevine
- grass
- groundless rumor
- gush
- handle
- harangue
- have dealings with
- have intercourse
- have truck with
- haver
- hearsay
- hogwash
- hokum
- hold communication
- homework
- homily
- hooey
- hortatory address
- hot air
- hype
- idea afloat
- idiom
- idle talk
- inaugural
- inaugural address
- info
- inform
- inform on
- information
- instruction
- interchange
- intercommunicate
- invective
- investigate
- jabber
- jargon
- jargonize
- jaw
- jeremiad
- knock
- knock around
- language
- langue
- latrine rumor
- leak
- lecture
- lecture-demonstration
- lesson
- let drop
- let fall
- let slip
- lingo
- lingua
- locution
- malarkey
- manner of speaking
- meeting
- minimize
- moral
- moral lesson
- morality
- moralization
- mouth
- natter
- negotiation
- news
- news stirring
- newsmongering
- nonsense
- object lesson
- on-dit
- oral communication
- oration
- palaver
- pan
- parlance
- parley
- parole
- pass under review
- patois
- patronize
- patter
- peach
- pep talk
- peroration
- personal usage
- persuade
- philippic
- phrase
- phraseology
- phrasing
- piece of gossip
- piffle
- pitch
- platform
- plug
- poppycock
- pour forth
- powwow
- prate
- prattle
- prattling
- preachment
- prepared speech
- prepared text
- presentation
- promote
- prose
- public speech
- publicize
- push
- put down
- question-and-answer session
- ramble on
- rap
- rap session
- rapping
- rat
- rattle
- rattle on
- reading
- reason
- reason about
- reason the point
- recital
- recitation
- reel off
- report
- retail gossip
- reveal a secret
- review
- rhetoric
- roorback
- rubbish
- rumble
- rumor
- run on
- sales talk
- salutatory
- salutatory address
- say
- screed
- scuttlebutt
- sermon
- set speech
- set task
- shoot the breeze
- sift
- sing
- skull session
- soapbox
- speak
- speak to
- speak with
- speaking
- speech
- speechification
- speechify
- speeching
- spiel
- spill
- spill the beans
- sponsor
- spout
- spout off
- squeal
- stool
- story
- study
- stuff and nonsense
- stump
- support
- sway
- take the floor
- take the stump
- take up
- tale
- talebearing
- taletelling
- talk about
- talk away
- talk big
- talk down
- talk into
- talk nonsense
- talk of
- talk on
- talk over
- talkathon
- talkfest
- talking
- task
- tattle
- tattle on
- teaching
- tell idle tales
- tell on
- tell secrets
- tell tales
- tete-a-tete
- thresh out
- tirade
- tittle-tattle
- tongue
- town talk
- traffic with
- treat
- trialogue
- tripe
- twaddle
- twattle
- unconfirmed report
- usage
- use
- use language
- use of words
- usus loquendi
- utter
- utterance
- valediction
- valedictory
- valedictory address
- vaunt
- ventilate
- verbalization
- verbalize
- verbiage
- visit
- vocalize
- voice
- waffle
- wag the tongue
- way of speaking
- whisper
- wordage
- wording
- words
- yak
- yakkety-yak
- yakking
- yam
- yarn
hypernyms (20)
Words that are more generic or abstract
same context (36)
Words that are found in similar contexts
cross-references (23)
Cross-references
- communicate
- conference
- consult
- report
- small talk
- speak
- speech
- talking of
- talking starling
- to be talked out
- to talk big
- to talk down
- to talk from the point
- to talk greek
- to talk like a dutch uncle
- to talk of
- to talk over
- to talk post
- to talk round
- to talk shop
- to talk to
- to talk to the point
- to talk up
oroboros commented on the word talk
It is practically impossible to stop talking. Life is expecting you to talk; Life has arranged things in such a way that almost everyone is expected to and will talk incessantly and specifically about their living. They will talk all day about, "what kind of guy I am" and "what's happened to me." Talk is expected and Life is dependent upon it.
Jan Cox
October 8, 2007
reesetee commented on the word talk
Oh, be quiet, oroboros. ;->
October 8, 2007