I. ˈtȯk verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English talken; akin to Frisian talken to talk, Old English talu tale — more at tale
transitive verb
1. : to deliver or express in speech : say , utter
to say that … is to talk very little sense — Charlton Laird
the vice-president talked what … was sensible enough — O.W.Holmes †1935
2.
a. : to make the subject of conversation or discourse : consider , discuss
talked books till the small hours — H.J.Laski
talk the day's news — Paul Engle
never … talks personalities — Elmer Davis
— often used with over
talked it over with his family — W.L.Gresham
suggest … that the three of us talk the situation over — H.B.Safford
b. : to speak confidently or boastfully of without matching the words with performance
talks a good, enlightened prolabor line which … turns out to be window dressing — New Republic
they don't just talk a good game, they play it — Charles Price
3. : to use (a language) for conversing or communicating : speak
to talk the language well is still the indispensable accomplishment of a gentleman — E.G.Bulwer-Lytton
the peculiar French patois that he talked — Aaron Copland
talked Italian fluently and French like a Frenchman — G.M.Trevelyan
4.
a. : to bring to a specified state by talking
talked herself hoarse answering queries over the phone — Jane Woodfin
talked him deaf, dumb, and blind
talk the economy into a recession — New Republic
b. : to persuade, influence, or affect by talking
could talk the university into giving me money enough — Oliver LaFarge
his own weak effort to talk himself out of what he had already decided to do — W.F.Davis
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to express, communicate, or exchange ideas or thoughts by means of spoken words : converse
had supper and talked until very late — Bruce Siberts & W.D.Wyman
stood outside … in little groups talking — Louis Bromfield
— often used with to or with
talks to the children when they come to see him
out talking with the neighbors
b. : to convey information or communicate with signs or with sounds made as if by talking
30 deaf mutes, their faces alight … when they talk — W.F.McDermott
ahead of him two flickers were talking — Steve Frazee
a rawhide drum started talking in measured beats — F.B.Gipson
on the flying bridge … the light began to talk to us — Vincent McHugh
how to choose the book that's going to talk to him in a way he finds enjoyable — Horace Sutton
c. : to make sounds or noises that are suggestive of talking
a bracing wind … talks menacingly of storm and stress and shipwreck — Alfred Buchanan
a gun was talking … filling the night with battle uproar — Alan LeMay
2.
a. : to use the faculty of speech : utter or make the sound of words
talk in human language better than many a parrot — Morris Gilbert
most hard-of-hearing people … talk very loud — Eleanor B. Simmons
this is a microphone … you talk straight into it — Jane Woodfin
b. : to speak idly or incessantly to no purpose : prate , chatter
all the while she talked, saying trivial, idiotic things — Louis Bromfield
foolish and perverse, banal, intolerably talking on and on — H.O.Taylor
and Congress talked — Economist
c. : to speak to the point : say something worthwhile
now you're talking
: carry weight
money talks
3.
a. : to transmit a speculation or rumor usually about another : gossip — often used with about
she does not talk about others behind their backs
b. : to reveal secret or confidential information usually concerning unlawful acts or practices
he talked and revealed much valuable information to the F.B.I. — J.M.Wolfe
cash-on-the-side payments … are oftentimes difficult to ascertain unless the buyer talks — M.B.Clinard
4. : to give a talk : lecture
he talks on the radio and to community groups
Synonyms: see speak
•
- talk at
- talk big
- talk of
- talk one's head off
- talk one's way
- talk sense
- talk through one's hat
- talk to
- talk to death
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from talken to talk
1.
a. : the act of talking : speech , conversation
an opportunity to … enjoy a bit of talk — Margaret Jones
asked the question … with apparent intention only of keeping talk going — Gilbert Parker
b. : an instance or period of such speech or conversation
expects to have a long talk with his old friend
stops to have talks with people he knows
2.
a. : the utterance of words : articulation
writers … whose ear for the vernacular is so accurate that they can bring a whole stratum of society to life by the talk of their characters — Amy Loveman
it is difficult to understand them because of their strange talk
b. : pointless or fruitless discussion : verbiage , chatter
meeting produced little but talk — Time
a man who has had his dinner is never a revolutionist: his politics are all talk — G.B.Shaw
the drowning of one's mental disturbances in brave talk — W.J.Reilly
3. : a formal or prearranged discussion, negotiation, or exchange of views usually of a political nature : conference , meeting
latest bid for Big Four talks on a … peace treaty — Current History
sent word to … come in for talks at Fort King — Marjory S. Douglas
4.
a. : the making of often speculative statements or comment : mention , report
much talk of the atomic bomb — C.G.McAleer
talk of acquiring a large amount of surplus war material — A.H.Lybyer
all the talk we hear about quality being adversely affected — Bruce Payne
b. : rumor , gossip
only telling you the talk in our neighborhood — Mary R. Rinehart
a lot too much talk going on — S.H.Adams
5. : the topic of interested comment, conversation, or gossip
it was the talk not only of the town but of the country — Edward Bok
by evening of that day the project had become the talk … of the whole community — L.B.Salomon
a pert young daughter … whose adventures were common talk — L.C.Douglas
6.
a. : an analysis or discussion formally prepared for public presentation : speech , lecture
at the first American Writers' Congress … he gave a talk on “The Tradition of American Literature” — C.I.Glicksberg
broadcasts a weekly inspirational talk called “The Art of Living” — Bernard Kalb
b. : written analysis or discussion presented in an informal or conversational manner
here is timeless old England … given in such lists and such talk as only this writer can command — New York Herald Tribune Book Review
wrote a book called Talks to Teachers
7. : communicative sounds or signs resembling or functioning as talk
heard a scuffle and then a good deal of pheasant talk up a hill among some huge boulders — Dillon Ripley
lake ships use a whistle talk that consists of 450 different signals — H.F.Unger
occasional slang signs with which a deaf person … intersperses his talk — J.S.Long