D defs.my
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Entry 12 senses · 3 variants Webster, 1913

Discourse

/dĭs'-kôrs/ · Dis·course · IPA /ˈdɪs.kɔːɹs/
01 n. 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…
  1. 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.” — Shak.
  2. 2.
    Conversation; talk.
    “In their discourses after supper.” — Shak.
    “Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse.” — Locke.
  3. 3.
    The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
    “Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse.” — Shak.
  4. 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. 5.
    Dealing; transaction.[Obs.]
    “Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how We got the victory.” — Beau. & Fl.
02 v. i. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.
imp. & p. p. Discoursed; p. pr. & vb. n. Discoursing
  1. 1.
    To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.[Obs.]
  2. 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.” — Shak.
  3. 3.
    To relate something; to tell.
  4. 4.
    To treat of something in writing and formally.
03 v. t. To treat of; to expose or set forth in language.
  1. 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. 2.
    To utter or give forth; to speak.
    “It will discourse most eloquent music.” — Shak.
  3. 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.