Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Say
Say
(sā)
, Noun.
[Aphetic form of
assay
.] 1.
Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack.
[Obs.]
If those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and
says
, as it were, of that final benefit. Hooker.
Thy tongue some
say
of breeding breathes. Shakespeare
2.
Tried quality; temper; proof.
[Obs.]
He found a sword of better
say
. Spenser.
3.
Essay; trial; attempt.
[Obs.]
To give a say at
, to attempt.
B. Jonson.
Say
,Verb.
T.
To try; to assay.
[Obs.]
B. Jonson.
Say
,Noun.
[OE.
saie
, F. saie
, fr. L. saga
, equiv. to sagum
, sagus
, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. σάγος
. See Sagum
.] 1.
A kind of silk or satin.
[Obs.]
Thou
say
, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! Shakespeare
2.
A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth.
[Obs.]
His garment neither was of silk nor
say
. Spenser.
Say
,Verb.
T.
[
imp. & p. p.
Said
(sĕd)
, contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n.
Saying
.] 1.
To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare;
as, he
. said
many wise thingsArise, and
say
how thou camest here. Shakespeare
2.
To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce;
as, to
. say
a lessonOf my instruction hast thou nothing bated
In what thou hadst to
In what thou hadst to
say
? Shakespeare
After which shall be
said
or sung the following hymn. Bk. of Com. Prayer.
3.
To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to.
But what it is, hard is to
say
. Milton.
4.
To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; – in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive;
as, he had,
. say
fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say
ten milesSay
, for nonpayment that the debt should double,Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble?
Shakespeare
It is said
, or They say
it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain.
– That is to say
, that is; in other words; otherwise.
Say
,Verb.
I.
To speak; to express an opinion; to make answer; to reply.
You have
said
; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. Shakespeare
To this argument we shall soon have
said
; for what concerns it us to hear a husband divulge his household privacies? Milton.
Say
,Noun.
A speech; something said; an expression of opinion; a current story; a maxim or proverb.
[Archaic or Colloq.]
He no sooner said out his
say
, but up rises a cunning snap. L’Estrange.
That strange palmer's boding
That fell so ominous and drear
Full on the object of his fear.
say
,That fell so ominous and drear
Full on the object of his fear.
Sir W. Scott.
Webster 1828 Edition
Say
SAY
,Verb.
T.
1.
To speak; to utter in words; as, he said nothing; he said many things; he says not a word. Say a good word for me.It is observable that although this word is radically synonymous with speak and tell, yet the uses are applications of these words are different. Thus we say, to speak an oration, to tell a story; but in these phrases, say cannot be used. Yet to say a lesson is good English, though not very elegant. We never use the phrases to say a sermon or discourse, to say an argument, to say a speech, to say testimony.
A very general use of say is to introduce a relation, narration or recital, either of the speaker himself or of something said or done or to be done by another. Thus Adam said, this is bone of my bone; Noah said, blessed be the Lord God of Shem. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves. Say to the cities of Judah, behold your God. I cannot say what I should do in a similar case. Say thus precedes a sentence. But it is perhaps impracticable to reduce the peculiar and appropriate uses of say, speak and tell, to general rules. They can be learned only by observation.
2.
To declare. Gen. 38.3.
To utter; to pronounce.Say now Shibboleth. Judges 12.
4.
To utter, as a command.God said, let there be light. Gen. 1.
5.
To utter, as a promise. Luke 23.6.
To utter, as a question or answer. Mark 11.7.
To affirm; to teach. Matt. 17.8.
To confess. Luke 17.9.
To testify. Acts 26.10.
To argue; to allege by way of argument.After all that can be said against a thing -
11.
To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; as, to say a lesson.12.
To pronounce; to recite without singing. Then shall be said or sung as follows.13.
To report; as in the phrases, it is said, they say.14.
To answer; to utter by way of reply; to tell.Say, Stella, feel you no content, reflecting on a life well spent?
[Note - This verb is not properly intransitive. In the phrase, 'as when we say, Plato is no fool,' the last clause is the object after the verb; that is, 'we say what follows.' If this verb is properly intransitive in any case, it is in the phrase, 'that is to say,' but in such cases, the subsequent clause is the object of the verb, being that which is said, uttered or related.]
SAY
,Noun.
SAY
,Noun.
1.
A sample. Obs.2.
Trial by sample. Obs.SAY
,Noun.