/bi speek"/ , v.t., bespoke or ( Archaic ) bespake; bespoken or bespoke; bespeaking .
1. to ask for in advance: to bespeak the reader's patience.
2. to reserve beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for: to bespeak a seat in a theater.
3. Literary. to speak to; address.
4. to show; indicate: This bespeaks a kindly heart.
5. Obs. to foretell; forebode.
[ bef. 900; ME bespeken, OE besprecan. See BE-, SPEAK ]