Link Centre Dictionary

speaking

spea·king

UK/ˈspiː.kɪŋ/ US/ˈspi.kɪŋ/ very common
noun (2) adjective (2)

noun

1.
2.

delivering an address to a public audience

  • “people came to see the candidates and hear the speechmaking”
Synonyms

adjective

1.

capable of or involving speech or speaking

  • “human beings--the speaking animals”
  • “a speaking part in the play”
Antonyms
Similar
2.

capable of speech

  • “the speaking animal”
Synonyms
Similar

Origin

From Middle English spekinge, spekynge, spekinde, spekende, spekande, spekand, from Old English specende, sprecende (“speaking”), from Proto-Germanic *sprekandz (“speaking”), present participle of Proto-Germanic *sprekaną (“to speak”). Equivalent to speak + -ing. Cognate with Scots speikand, speikin (“speaking”), Saterland Frisian spreekend (“speaking”), West Frisian sprekkend (“speaking”), Dutch sprekend (“speaking”), German Low German sprekend (“speaking”), German sprechend (“speaking”).

Phrases

  • speaking objection

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

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WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.