be·speak
(bĭ-spēk′)tr.v. be·spoke (-spōk′),
be·spo·ken (-spō′kən) or
be·spoke,
be·speak·ing,
be·speaks 1. a. To be or give a sign of; indicate:
"Their impeccable coiffures bespoke a recent trip to the beauty parlor" (Daniel B. Silver). See Synonyms at
indicate.
b. To foretell; portend: "He salutes them with a stricken look, as if their arrival bespeaks doom for him" (Edna O'Brien).
2. a. To engage, hire, or order in advance: "Some of the volumes that she had just bespoken the bookseller was to send to foreign countries" (Henry James). See Synonyms at book1.
b. To request: bespeak a favor.
3. Archaic To speak to; address.
[Middle English bispeken, to speak out, from Old English besprecan, to speak about.]
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
be•speak
(bɪˈspik)
v.t. -spoke, -spo•ken -spoke, -speak•ing. 1. to ask for in advance; request.
2. to reserve beforehand: to bespeak a seat in a theater.
3. to speak to formally; address.
4. to show; indicate: This bespeaks a kindly heart.
5. to foretell.
[before 900]
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Adj. | 1. | bespoken - (of clothing) custom-made |
| 2. | bespoken - pledged to be married; "the engaged couple" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
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