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Discourse   /dˈɪskɔrs/   Listen
noun
Discourse  n.  
1.
The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning; range of reasoning faculty. (Obs.) "Difficult, strange, and harsh to the discourses of natural reason." "Sure he that made us with such large discourse, Looking before and after, gave us not That capability and godlike reason To fust in us unused."
2.
Conversation; talk. "In their discourses after supper." "Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse."
3.
The art and manner of speaking and conversing. "Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse."
4.
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.
5.
Dealing; transaction. (Obs.) "Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how We got the victory."


verb
Discourse  v. t.  
1.
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."
2.
To utter or give forth; to speak. "It will discourse most eloquent music."
3.
To talk to; to confer with. (Obs.) "I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it."


Discourse  v. i.  (past & past part. discoursed; pres. part. discoursing)  
1.
To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason. (Obs.) "Have sense or can discourse."
2.
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."
3.
To relate something; to tell.
4.
To treat of something in writing and formally.





Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48


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"Discourse" Quotes from Famous Books



... later, Professor William Ferrel, the American meteorologist, who had been led to take up the subject by a perusal of Maury's discourse on ocean winds, formulated a general mathematical law, to the effect that any body moving in a right line along the surface of the earth in any direction tends to have its course deflected, owing to the earth's rotation, ...
— A History of Science, Volume 3(of 5) • Henry Smith Williams
... This discourse was delivered so well, was in itself so reasonable, was managed with so much temper, yet so boldly concluded with a negative, that the greatest part of the men were satisfied for the present. However, ...
— The Life, Adventures & Piracies of the Famous Captain Singleton • Daniel Defoe
... great deal, the whole amount of his discourse was to inform her Ladyship that (Stilletto) meaning his horse, (who in truth appeared to possess more fire and spirit than his rider could either boast of or command,) had cost him only 700 guineas, and was prime blood; ...
— Real Life In London, Volumes I. and II. • Pierce Egan
... I marvelled this ungainly fowl to hear discourse so plainly, Though its answer little meaning—little relevancy bore; For we cannot help agreeing that no living human being Ever yet was blessed with seeing bird above his chamber door— Bird or beast upon the sculptured bust ...
— Southern Literature From 1579-1895 • Louise Manly
... for such the Spaniards always keep; and how the Look-outs are placed? Whether possible to avoid the Look-outs or take them? If any River or Creek comes near it, or where the best Landing? or numerous other such questions, which their curiosities lead them to demand. And if they have had any former discourse of such places from other Prisoners, they compare one with the other; then examine again, and enquire if he or any of them, are capable to be guides to conduct a party of men thither: if not, where and how any Prisoner may be taken that may do it, and from thence they ...
— On the Spanish Main - Or, Some English forays on the Isthmus of Darien. • John Masefield


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