(a) The act of talking, speaking, conversing; also, God's act of creation by his word [quot. a1500 *Sidrak & B.]; ~ with of straungeres, the act of conversing with strangers; feue wordes malicious in ~, taciturn but a backbiter; gret (muche, muchel) ~, excessive talking; ivel ~ (?ivele ~), the act of ill-speaking; short ~, ?rapid or clipped speech; treue ~, the act of speaking the truth; (b) that which is spoken, speech, talk, conversation [a few quots. may belong to (a)]; also, an instance of speech, a particular discourse, conversation, etc.; also, a report[quot. c1440]; ben fain of hire ~, to be eager to hold a conversation with her; maken fair ~, speak (to sb.) eloquently or persuasively; maken of fair ~, make (sb.) eloquent; (c) the power of speech, faculty of speech, ability to speak; cleren the ~, to restore the power to speak clearly; (d) the ability to speak well, eloquence; (e) the act or practice of public speaking, oratory; curious ~, meretricious rhetoric, sophistry; (f) a conference, an assembly for discussing something; ~ togeder, an assembly, a meeting; maken ~, to hold a conference or council; (g) articulation; the articulation (of sth.); esi in ~, easy to articulate, easy to say; (h) a language; (i) in cpd.: ~ place, that part of a temple where the Divine Presence is manifested.

(a) Something written, writing; also, the content or tenor of a letter; (b) mention (of sth.) in a written text, discussion; also, in parenthetical phrase: in ~ of, to make mention of (sth.), speaking of; (c) pl. ?figurative expressions, similes.