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Webster 1913 Edition

Discourse

Dis-course′

,
Noun.
[L.
discursus
a running to and fro, discourse, fr.
discurrere
,
discursum
, to run to and fro, to discourse;
dis-
+
currere
to run: cf. F.
discours
. See
Course
.]
1.
The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning; range of reasoning faculty.
[Obs.]
Difficult, strange, and harsh to the
discourses
of natural reason.
South.
Sure he that made us with such large
discourse
,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and godlike reason
To fust in us unused.
Shakespeare
2.
Conversation; talk.
In their
discourses
after supper.
Shakespeare
Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious
discourse
.
Locke.
3.
The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
Of excellent breeding, admirable
discourse
.
Shakespeare
4.
Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.;
as, the preacher gave us a long
discourse
on duty
.
5.
Dealing; transaction.
[Obs.]
Good Captain Bessus, tell us the
discourse

Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how
We got the victory.
Beau. & Fl.

Dis-course′

,
Verb.
I.
[
imp. & p. p.
Discoursed
;
p. pr. & vb. n.
Discoursing
.]
1.
To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.
[Obs.]
“Have sense or can discourse.”
Dryden.
2.
To express one’s self in oral discourse; to expose one's views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse.
Bid me
discourse
, I will enchant thine ear.
Shakespeare
3.
To relate something; to tell.
Shak.
4.
To treat of something in writing and formally.

Dis-course′

,
Verb.
T.
1.
To treat of; to expose or set forth in language.
[Obs.]
The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently and at large
discoursed
in the book.
Foxe.
2.
To utter or give forth; to speak.
It will
discourse
most eloquent music.
Shakespeare
3.
To talk to; to confer with.
[Obs.]
I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to
discourse
the minister about it.
Evelyn.

Webster 1828 Edition

Discourse

DISCOURSE

,
Noun.
Discors. [L., to run.]
1.
The act of the undertaking, by which it passes from premises to consequences; the act which connects propositions, and deduces conclusions from them. [This sense is now obsolete.]
2.
Literally, a running over a subject in speech; hence, a communication of thoughts by words, either to individuals, to companies, or to public assemblies. Discourse to an individual or to a small company is called conversation or talk; mutual interchange or thoughts; mutual intercourse of language. It is applied to the familiar communication of thoughts by an individual, or to the mutual communication of two or more. We say, I was pleased with his discourse, and he heard our discourse.
The vanquished party with the victors joined, nor wanted sweet discourse, the banquet of the mind.
3.
Effusion of language; speech.
4.
A written treatise; a formal dissertation; as the discourse of Plutarch on garrulity; of Cicero on old age.
5.
A sermon, uttered or written. We say, an extemporaneous discourse, or a written discourse.

DISCOURSE

,
Verb.
I.
1.
To talk; to converse; to but it expresses rather more formality than talk. He discoursed with us an hour on the events of the war. We discoursed together on our mutual concerns.
2.
To communicate thoughts or ideas in a formal manner; to treat upon in a solemn, set manner; as, to discourse on the properties of the circle; the preacher discoursed on the nature and effects of faith.
3.
To reason; to pass from premises to consequences.

DISCOURSE

,
Verb.
T.
To treat of; to talk over; to discuss. [Not used.]
Let use discourse our fortunes.

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