ZebraWords.com - The Definition of 'Bespeak', Synonyms of 'Bespeak' & More on 'Bespeak'

1. WordNet® 3.0 (2006)

bespeak
    v 1: be a signal for or a symptom of; "These symptoms indicate a
         serious illness"; "Her behavior points to a severe
         neurosis"; "The economic indicators signal that the euro is
         undervalued" [syn: bespeak, betoken, indicate,
         point, signal]
    2: express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an
       extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service" [syn:
       request, bespeak, call for, quest]

2. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Bespeak \Be*speak"\, v. t. [imp. Bespoke, Bespake (Archaic);
   p. p. Bespoke, Bespoken; p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeaking.]
   [OE. bispeken, AS. besprecan, to speak to, accuse; pref. be-
   + sprecan to speak. See Speak.]
   1. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage
      against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a
      favor.
      [1913 Webster]

            Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice
            was to bespeak his favor.             --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate.
      [1913 Webster]

            [They] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the
            allies.                               --Swift.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or
      appearances.
      [1913 Webster]

            When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so
            little the figure of a man that it bespoke him
            rather a monster.                     --Locke.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To speak to; to address. [Poetic]
      [1913 Webster]

            He thus the queen bespoke.            --Dryden.
      [1913 Webster]

3. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Bespeak \Be*speak"\, v. i.
   To speak. [Obs.] --Milton.
   [1913 Webster]

4. The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Bespeak \Be*speak"\, n.
   A bespeaking. Among actors, a benefit (when a particular play
   is bespoken.) "The night of her bespeak." --Dickens.
   [1913 Webster]

Thesaurus Results for bespeak:

1. Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0

accost, address, announce, apostrophize, appeal to, apply for, apply to, approach, approve, argue, ask, ask for, attest, be construed as, be indicative of, be significant of, be symptomatic of, beg leave, betoken, book, breathe, brief, buttonhole, call for, call to, characterize, connote, crave, demand, demonstrate, denominate, denote, desire, differentiate, disclose, display, employ, engage, entail, evidence, evince, exhibit, express, file for, furnish evidence, give evidence, give indication of, give token, go to show, greet, hail, halloo, highlight, hint, hire, identify, illustrate, imply, import, indent, indicate, invoke, involve, make a request, make a requisition, make application, manifest, mark, mean, memorialize, note, order, point to, preengage, put in for, recruit, refer to, request, requisition, reserve, retain, reveal, salute, set forth, show, show signs of, sign on, sign up, sign up for, signalize, signify, solicit, speak, speak fair, speak for itself, speak to, speak volumes, spell, stand for, suggest, symbolize, symptomatize, symptomize, take aside, take into employment, take on, talk to, tell, tend to show, testify, whistle for, wish, witness

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