Dictionary

bespeak en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /bɪˈspiːk/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English bespeken, bispeken, from Old English *bespecan, besprecan (“to speak about, speak against, accuse of, claim at law, complain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisprekan (“to discuss, blame”), from Proto-Germanic *bisprekaną (“to speak about, discuss, blame”), equivalent to be- + speak. Cognate with Scots bespeke (“to beseech, speak or negotiate with”), Saterland Frisian bispreke (“to discuss”), West Frisian besprekke (“to discuss”), Dutch bespreken (“to discuss, review, debate”), German besprechen (“to discuss, review, talk about”).

Meanings

1. (archaic) A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
   • "By the bye, I've been thinking of bringing out that piece of yours on her bespeak night." "When?" asked Nicholas. "The night of her bespeak. Her benefit night. When her friends and patrons bespeak the play." "Oh! I understand," replied Nicholas. 1838 March – 1839 October, Charles Dickens, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published 1839, →OCLC:

Forms

bespeak en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /bɪˈspiːk/
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Middle English bespeken, bispeken, from Old English *bespecan, besprecan (“to speak about, speak against, accuse of, claim at law, complain”), from Proto-West Germanic *bisprekan (“to discuss, blame”), from Proto-Germanic *bisprekaną (“to speak about, discuss, blame”), equivalent to be- + speak. Cognate with Scots bespeke (“to beseech, speak or negotiate with”), Saterland Frisian bispreke (“to discuss”), West Frisian besprekke (“to discuss”), Dutch bespreken (“to discuss, review, debate”), German besprechen (“to discuss, review, talk about”).

Meanings

1. (archaic, formal, transitive) To speak about; tell of; relate; discuss.
   • [They] bespoke dangers […] in order to scare the allies. 1711, Jonathan Swift, The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 3, The Examiner, Number 44, page 244
2. (dated, transitive) To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order, commission, reserve or arrange for something to be made in advance.
   • '[…] I am come here to bespeak Fanny a seal […]' 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter XI, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
   • concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favour 1819 December 20 (indicated as 1820), Walter Scott, Ivanhoe; a Romance. […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), Edinburgh: […] Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Hurst, Robinson, and Co. […], →OCLC:
   • I walked on into the village, with the desertion of this house upon my mind, and I found the landlord of the little inn, sanding his door-step. I bespoke breakfast, and broached the subject of the house. 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House:
3. (transitive) To stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour.
   • to bespeak a calm hearing
   • I bespeak your patience in advance.
4. (archaic, transitive) To forbode; foretell.
5. (archaic, poetic, transitive) To speak to; address.
   • Spurring his horse, he galloped down to the shore and bespoke them. 1961, Norma Lorre Goodrich, “Beowulf”, in The Medieval Myths, New York: The New American Library, page 23:
   • Then ſtaring on her with a ghaſtly Look, / And hollow Voice, he thus the Queen beſpoke. 1717, John Dryden, “Book XI. [The House of Sleep.]”, in Ovid’s Metamorphoses in Fifteen Books. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 401:
6. (transitive) To betoken; show; indicate; depict; foretell; suggest; allude to.
   • Turning her looks unconsciously to that part of the assembly where Douglas leaned, engaged in serious contemplation, Ellina chanced to encounter his eye intently fixed upon her; the expression of which bespeaking at once pity and benevolence, her heart, mortified, reproached her for her lightness. 1838, [Letitia Elizabeth] Landon (indicated as editor), chapter XVI, in Duty and Inclination: […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 228:
   • When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespake him rather a monster. 1689 (indicated as 1690), [John Locke], chapter 3, in An Essay Concerning Humane Understanding. […], London: […] Eliz[abeth] Holt, for Thomas Basset, […], →OCLC:
   • [...] the drop in speed only from 66 to 53 m.p.h. up the six miles at 1 in 176-200-167 to Saunderton summit bespoke a hard effort, [...] 1961 February, Cecil J. Allen, “Locomotive Running Past and Present”, in Trains Illustrated, page 87:
   • This new-comer was a man who in any company would have seemed striking.[…]He was smooth-faced, and his fresh skin and well-developed figure bespoke the man in good physical condition through active exercise, yet well content with the world's apportionment. 1910, Emerson Hough, chapter I, in The Purchase Price: Or The Cause of Compromise, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
   • This act bespeaks his kindness.
   • Are they telling your story vividly, strikingly, in designs that command attention, in colors that bespeak distinction? 1921, Printers' Ink, volume 114, page 50:
7. (intransitive) To speak up or out; exclaim; speak.

Forms

Deriveds

unbespeak · bespeaking · bespoke · bespeaker · bespeakable

Synonyms

chat · betalk · bechat · confer · chat · moot · treat · discuss · talk about · betalk · bespeak · talk about · talk over

Translations (49)

fi tilata ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · cs svědčit ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · nl bespreken ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · fi ilmaista ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de bitten um ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · de mitteilen ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · de sich richten an ((transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address) · ru предска́зывать ((transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell) · fi puhua ((intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak) · de anzeigen ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de im Voraus reservieren ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru обсужда́ть ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · de diskutieren ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · de zeigen ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · fi puhua ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · nb anmode om ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · fi osoittaa ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · cs sjednat si ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · mi taupua ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru бронировать ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · de hinweisen auf ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de im Voraus buchen ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · fi sopia ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru восклица́ть ((intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak) · cs zamluvit si ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · cs sjednat si ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · de ansprechen ((transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address) · de erbitten ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · de anfragen ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · cs svědčit ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de vorhersagen ((transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell) · de arrangieren ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru обраща́ться ((transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address) · de mitteilen ((intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak) · ru пока́зывать ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de besprechen ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · fi pyytää ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · de aussprechen ((intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak) · ru проси́ть ((transitive) to stipulate, solicit, ask for, or request, as in a favour) · eo priparoli ((transitive) to speak about; tell of; relate; discuss) · de vorbestellen ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · nb forhåndsbestille ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru отража́ть ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de voraussagen ((transitive, archaic) to forbode; foretell) · fi puhutella ((transitive, archaic, poetic) to speak to; address) · fi kieliä ((transitive) to betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest) · de bekanntgeben ((intransitive) to speak up or out; exclaim; speak) · fi varata ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance) · ru резерви́ровать ((transitive) to speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance)