speech /spiːt͡ʃ/noun 7verb 1forms 3 noun7 •The act of speaking, a certain style of it.It was hard to hear his speech over the noise.Her speech was soft and lilting. •a long message said out loud by one person to many people at a formal eventThe candidate made some ambitious promises in his campaign speech. •Language used orally, rather than in writing.This word is mostly used in speech. •The ability to speak; the faculty of uttering words or articulate sounds and vocalizations to communicate.He had a bad speech impediment.After the accident she lost her speech. •An utterance that is quoted; see direct speech, reported speech •A dialect, vernacular, or (dated) a language.For thou art not sent to a people of a strange speech, and of an hard language, but to the house of Israel. — 1611 •Public talk, news, gossip, rumour.The duke[…]did of me demand / What was the speech among the Londoners / Concerning the French journey. — 1613 verb1 •To make (a speech); to harangue.I'll speech against peace while Dismal's my name, / And be a true whig, while I'm Not-in-game. — 1711 formsspeeched · speeching · speeches
