English

Verb

bespeak ‎(third-person singular simple present bespeaks, present participle bespeaking, simple past bespoke or (archaic) bespake, past participle bespoken or (archaic) bespoke)

1. (transitive) To speak about; tell of; relate; discuss.
   • 2006, Janet Jaymes, Dirty Laundry: A Memoir:

     But to bespeak of a love, heavily weighed upon a heart, toward someone opposing those sentiments encourages foolish and embarrassing repercussions he will never know about.

2. (transitive) To speak for beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for; order or reserve in advance.
   • Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832)

     concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favour

   • 1859, Charles Dickens, The Haunted House

     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.

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. (transitive, archaic) To forbode; foretell.
5. (transitive, archaic, poetic) To speak to; address.
   • John Dryden (1631-1700)

     He thus the queen bespoke.

6. (transitive) To betoken; show; indicate; foretell; suggest.

   This act bespeaks his kindness.‎

   • Jonathan Swift (1667–1745)

     [They] bespoke dangers […] in order to scare the allies.

   • John Locke (1632-1705)

     When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster.

   • 1915, Emerson Hough, The Purchase Price, chapterI:

     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.

   • 1921, Printers' Ink - Volume 114 - Page 50:

     Are they telling your story vividly, strikingly, in designs that command attention, in colors that bespeak distinction?

7. (intransitive) To speak up or out; exclaim; speak.

Derived terms

• bespeaker
• bespeaking

Translations

Noun

bespeak ‎(plural bespeaks)

1. A request for a specific performance; a benefit performance, by a patron.
   • 1839, Charles Dickens, Nicholas Nickleby

     "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.

References

Anagrams

• bespake

Scots

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [bəˈspɪk]
• (North Northern Scots) IPA^(key): [bəˈspɛk]

Verb

bespeak ‎(third-person singular present bespeaks, present participle bespeakin, past bespak, past participle bespoken)

1. to bespeak