— speakership , n.
/spee"keuhr/ , n.
1. a person who speaks.
2. a person who speaks formally before an audience; lecturer; orator.
3. ( usually cap. ) the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, the British House of Commons, or other such legislative assembly.
4. Also called loudspeaker . an electroacoustic device, often housed in a cabinet, that is connected as a component in an audio system, its function being to make speech or music audible.
5. a book of selections for practice in declamation.
6. be or not be on speakers , Brit. See speaking (defs. 9, 10).
[ 1275-1325; ME; see SPEAK, -ER 1 ]