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Discourse - Dictionary Definition and Overview |
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Discourse : (noun)
1: extended verbal expression in speech or writing
2: an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a
church service) [syn: sermon, preaching]
3: an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with
some particular topic; "the book contains an excellent
discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race
question is badly biased" [syn: discussion, treatment]
(verb)
1: to consider or examine in speech or writing; "The article
covered all the different aspects of this question";
"The class discussed Dante's `Inferno'" [syn: talk
about, discuss]
2: carry on a conversation [syn: converse]
3: talk or hold forth formally about a topic; "The speaker
dissertated about the social politics in 18th century
England" [syn: dissertate]
Based on WordNet 2.0
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Discourse : \Dis*course"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Discoursed; p.
pr. & vb. n. Discoursing.]
1. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and
inferring; to reason. [Obs.] ``Have sense or can
discourse.'' --Dryden.
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. --Shak.
3. To relate something; to tell. --Shak.
4. To treat of something in writing and formally.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Discourse : \Dis*course"\, n. [L. discursus a running to and fro,
discourse, fr. discurrere, discursum, to run to and fro, to
discourse; dis- _ currere to run: cf. F. discours. See
Course.]
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. --South.
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.
--Shak.
2. Conversation; talk.
In their discourses after supper. --Shak.
Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the
mouth with copious discourse. --Locke.
3. The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. --Shak.
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.
--Beau. & Fl.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary
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Discourse : \Dis*course"\, 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. --Foxe.
2. To utter or give forth; to speak.
It will discourse most eloquent music. --Shak.
3. To talk to; to confer with. [Obs.]
I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to
discourse the minister about it. --Evelyn.
Based on Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)
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Example Usage of Discourse |
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eamondowney: @nicky_voelks <3 great Discourse. Per usual. |
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DiggRetweets: #DiggRT #DiggRT Mercypolitics: Plz RT & #digg Back to the 30's:National Socialist and Republican Discourse: http://digg.com/d31CLK.. |
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Joreth: @Innomen courts are hardly scenes of "rational Discourse", they're places of misdirection & emotional control of an uneducated jury |
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