soggy ["sOg i] adj. moist; wet; soaked. (Adv: soggily. Comp: sog- gier; sup: soggiest.) soil ["soIl] 1. n. the ground; the top layer of dirt that plants grow in. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. tv. to make some- thing dirty. soil one’s diaper(s) [for a baby] to excrete waste into its diaper. soil one’s hands Go to get one’s hands dirty. soiled ["soIld] adj. dirtied; made dirty. sold ["sold] past tense and past par- ticiple of sell. sold out [of a product] completely sold with no more items remain- ing; [of a store] having no more of a particular product. soldier ["sol dZ#] n. someone who serves or fights in an army, espe- cially one who is not an officer. sole ["sol] 1. adj. only; [the] only [one]. (Adv: solely.) 2. n. the bot- tom surface of the foot; the bot- tom part of a shoe, boot, or other piece of footwear. 3. n., irreg. a flat, edible fish. (Plural: sole.) 4. n. the edible flesh of E. (No plural.) 5. tv. to put a new sole as in W on a shoe or boot. solid ["sal Id] 1. n. something that is hard and does not allow its shape to be changed easily; some- thing that is not a liquid and not a gas. 2. adj. not liquid or gas; hav- ing a shape that does not change on its own to fit a container. (Adv: solidly.) 3. adj. not hollow; having an inside that is full of something. (Adv: solidly.) 4. adj. [of a period of time] continuous and not inter- rupted. (Adv: solidly. Before or after a noun.) 5. adj. sturdy; well made; dependable; able to be relied on; strong; not likely to break, collapse, or fail. (Adv: solidly.) solids n. food that is solid W and not liquid. (Treated as plural.) solo ["so lo] 1. n. a musical piece performed by one person; a piece of music written primarily for one singer or one instrument. (Plural ends in -s.) 2. adj. done alone; done without help. 3. adv. without help; alone. 4. iv. to perform by oneself; to do something by one- self. solution [s@ "lu S@n] 1. n. an answer to a problem or question; a way to fix a problem. 2. n. a liquid that has a solid or gas dissolved in it; a mixture of a liquid and a solid or gas that has been dissolved in the liquid. solve ["sOlv] tv. to find the answer to a question or a problem. some ["s^m] 1. adj. [of a person or creature] unnamed or unknown. 2. adj. a few; more than one, but not many. (Use any in negative statements or questions.) 3. adj. [of something] excellent, exciting, or extreme. (Informal. Always stressed.) 4. n. a number of people or things; a few people or things, but less than many. (No plural.) somebody ["s^m bad i] 1. pron. some person; someone; a certain unnamed person. (Compare this with anybody.) 2. n. a famous or important person rather than just soggy 576 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 576 TLFeBOOK nobody. (Compare this with any- body. ) someday ["s^m de] adv. at some time in the future. somehow ["s^m haU] adv. in some way; in some manner; in a way that is not yet known. someone ["s^m w@n] pron. some- body; some person; a person; a certain unnamed person. (Com- pare this with anyone.) someone of note a person who is famous. someone’s affections someone’s expressions of love or caring. someone’s attentions someone’s caring or attention that indicates a romantic interest. someone’s next of kin someone’s closest living relative or relatives. someone’s travels n. [someone’s] journeys or visits to other places, especially over a long period of time. someone’s treat n. someone’s act of kindness in paying for someone else’s meal or entertainment. someplace ["s^m ples] adv. some- where; at, in, or to someplace. (Informal. Somewhere is preferred by some people. Compare this with anyplace.) something ["s^m TIN] 1. pron. some thing; a certain thing that is not known or named. (Compare this with anything.) 2. n. a thing that is more than nothing. (Com- pare this with anything. No plu- ral.) 3. adv. somewhat; in some way. (E.g., look something alike.) something is the case something is so; a condition is true; something is an actual event or state. sometime ["s^m taIm] adv. at some point in time that is not known or stated. sometimes adv. now and then; occasionally; from time to time. somewhat ["s^m W@t] adj. rather; slightly; to some degree; kind of. somewhere ["s^m WEr] adv. at, in, or to someplace. (Compare this with anywhere.) ( somewhere ) in the neighbor- hood of something approximately a particular measurement. son ["s^n] n. someone’s male child; the male child of a parent. (Also used as a term of address by an older person to any boy or young man.) song ["sON] 1. n. a story or words that are set to music; words that are sung. 2. n. singing; the art, practice, or action of singing. (No plural.) 3. n. the musical noise that birds make. → buy something for a song → folk song → go into one’s song and dance about something → swan song songbird ["sON b#d] n. any com- mon bird with a characteristic song. soon ["sun] adv. in a short period of time; before long; shortly. (Comp: sooner; sup: soonest.) → as soon as → (as) soon as possible → so soon soothe ["suD] 1. tv. to calm some- one or something; to comfort soothe 577 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 577 TLFeBOOK someone or something; to ease pain or discomfort. 2. iv. to be a comfort; to be a relief. soothing ["suD IN] adj. comforting; calming; relieving. (Adv: sooth- ingly.) soprano [s@ "prAn o] 1. n. some- one, usually a woman, who sings the highest musical notes. (Plural ends in -s.) 2. the adj. use of Q. the soprano n. the musical part written for soprano Q; the notes usually sung by soprano Q. (No plural. Treated as singular.) sorcerer ["sors @ r#] n. a male magician who contacts evil spirits. sorcery ["sor s@ ri] n. magic prac- ticed with the help of evil spirits. (No plural.) sore ["sor] 1. adj. in a state of hurt- ing; painful; aching. (Adv: sorely. Comp: sorer; sup: sorest.) 2. n. a painful infection or injury on the skin. sorrow ["sar o] 1. n. sadness; grief. 2. n. a cause of sadness, grief, or misfortune. → drown one’s sorrows → share someone’s sorrow sorry ["sar i] 1. adj. expressing an apology. (Not prenominal. Comp: sorrier; sup: sorriest.) 2. adj. sad; feeling pity; wishing that some- thing had happened differently. (Not prenominal. Comp: sorrier; sup: sorriest.) 3. adj. regretful; wishing that one had acted differ- ently. (Not prenominal. Comp: sorrier; sup: sorriest.) 4. adj. not adequate or acceptable. (Only prenominal. Comp: sorrier; sup: sorriest.) sort ["sort] 1. n. a kind; a category; a group of similar persons, things, or qualities. 2. tv. to put things in a particular order; to arrange things by category; to separate things by category. sort something out 1. to sort some- thing; to arrange according to class or category. 2. to study a problem and figure it out. sought ["sOt] past tense and past participle of seek. soul ["sol] 1. n. the part of a human that is said to be separate from the body (and that some religions believe never dies); the part of the body that controls emotion and thought; the spirit. 2. n. a person; a human being. 3. n. the force or spirit that gives something depth or meaning. (Figurative on Q.) → every living soul → keep body and soul together → not tell a soul → with all one’s heart and soul sound ["saUnd] 1. n. a property of vibrating air that can stimulate the ears and be heard. (No plural.) 2. n. a noise; vibrations that stim- ulate the ears. 3. n. a narrow chan- nel of water that connects two larger bodies of water. 4. tv. to cause something to make a noise; to cause something to be heard. 5. iv. to make a characteristic noise. 6. iv. to be heard in a cer- tain way. 7. adj. [of sleep] deep. (Adv: soundly.) 8. adj. healthy; not damaged or injured; in good con- dition. 9. adj. strong; sturdy; safe. (Adv: soundly. Comp: sounder; sup: soundest.) 10. adj. sane; logi- cal; reasonable; well reasoned; using good sense or judgment. soothing 578 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 578 TLFeBOOK (Adv: soundly. Comp: sounder; sup: soundest.) → let out a sound → safe and sound sound like something to seem like something. sound off to call out one’s name or one’s number in a sequence. sound off (about something ) to complain loudly about something; to make a fuss over something. soup ["sup] n. a liquid food that is made by boiling meat, fish, vegeta- bles, or other foods. (Plural only for types and instances.) → (as) easy as duck soup → (as) thick as pea soup → everything from soup to nuts sour ["saU #] 1. adj. tasting like an acid; having a taste like lemons; not sweet, salty, or bitter. (Adv: sourly. Comp: sourer; sup: sourest.) 2. adj. [of milk] spoiled. (Adv: sourly. Comp: sourer; sup: sourest.) 3. adj. unpleasant; disagreeable. (Adv: sourly. Comp: sourer; sup: sourest.) 4. iv. [for milk] to become W. → hit a sour note → strike a sour note source ["sors] n. the origin of something; the place where some- thing comes from. south ["saUT] 1. n. the direction to the right of someone or something facing east. (No plural.) 2. n. the part of a region, country, or planet located toward Q. (No plural. Capitalized when referring to a region of the United States.) 3. adj. to Q; toward Q; facing Q, located in W. 4. adj. coming from Q, especially used to describe wind. 5. adv. toward Q. south pole ["saUT "pol] 1. n. the point in the Antarctic that is as far south as it is possible to go. 2. n. the actual location of Q. (Capital- ized.) southeast [saUT "ist] 1. n. the direction halfway between south and east. (No plural.) 2. n. an area in the southeastern part of a region or country. (Capitalized when referring to a region of the United States.) 3. adj. located in the W; toward Q; facing Q. 4. adj. from Q, especially describ- ing wind. 5. adv. toward Q. southeastern [saUT "is t#n] adj. in the southeast; toward the south- east; facing the southeast. southern ["s^D #n] 1. adj. in the south; toward the south; facing south. 2. adj. from the south Q, especially describing wind. 3. adj. concerning the society and culture of the American South. (Often capitalized.) southerner ["s^D # n#] n. some- one who lives in the southern part of a country, especially someone from the southern United States. (Sometimes capitalized.) southwest [saUT "wEst] 1. n. the direction halfway between south and west. (No plural.) 2. n. the southwestern part of a region or a country. (No plural. Capitalized when referring to a region of the United States.) 3. adj. located in Q; toward Q; facing Q. 4. adj. from Q, especially describing wind. 5. adv. toward Q. southwest 579 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 579 TLFeBOOK southwestern [saUT "wEs t#n] adj. in the southwest; toward the southwest; facing the southwest. souvenir [su v@ "nIr] n. something that reminds one of someplace, someone, or one’s travels; a keep- sake. sow 1. ["so] tv., irreg. to drop or toss seed on the ground; to plant crops by scattering seed on the ground. (Past participle: sown or sowed.) 2. ["so] iv., irreg. to plant [crops] by scattering seed on the ground. 3. ["saU] n. a female pig. → make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear sow one’s wild oats to do wild and foolish things in one’s youth. sown ["son] a past participle of sow. space ["spes] 1. n. every location in existence in the universe. (No plu- ral.) 2. n. outer space; every place past the air surrounding the earth. (No plural.) 3. n. a place or area that has length, width, and depth; a place where there is room for someone or something to be. (No plural.) 4. n. a blank line or empty box on a piece of paper where something is to be written. 5. n. an empty place between two words in a written or printed line. 6. tv. to place things with distance between them. → outer space spacecraft and spaceship ["spes krAft, "spes SIp ] n., irreg. a rocket or vehicle that travels in space. (Plural: spacecraft and spaceships.) spaceship Go to spacecraft. spade ["sped] 1. n. a tool, similar to a small shovel, used for digging. 2. n. the black symbol (4) found on playing cards; one of the four suits found on playing cards. 3. tv. to dig something with Q. → call a spade a spade spaghetti [sp@ "gEt i] n. long, thin, (often dried) sticks made of a flour and water mixture, which are boiled and then eaten as food; long sticks of pasta. (No plural.) spare ["spEr] 1. adj. surplus; extra; free; not needed. 2. adj. extra; saved in case of emergency; reserved for emergency use; kept for emergency use. 3. n. some- thing that is extra and not imme- diately needed. 4. n. an extra tire that is kept in a vehicle in case a tire loses its air. 5. tv. not to per- mit someone to undergo punish- ment or execution. 6. tv. to be able to give time, money, or energy. → have something to spare → in one’s spare time → not a moment to spare → without a moment to spare spare someone something to exempt someone from having to listen to or experience something. sparrow ["spEr o] n. a common, small, brown bird. sparse ["spars] adj. scattered; not having many people or things in a certain area; not dense; having a very small amount of people or things in an area. (Adv: sparsely. Comp: sparser; sup: sparsest.) spat ["spAt] 1. a past tense and past participle of spit. 2. n. an argu- ment; a quarrel; a disagreement. speak ["spik] 1. tv., irreg. to say something; to utter something; to express one’s thoughts in words. southwestern 580 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 580 TLFeBOOK (Past tense: spoke; past participle: spoken.) 2. tv., irreg. to use a lan- guage; to know how to talk in a language. 3. iv., irreg. to talk; to say words. speak for themselves Go to speaks for itself. speak ill of someone to say some- thing bad about someone. speak of the devil a phrase said when someone whose name has just been mentioned appears or is heard from. speak out to speak loudly; to speak to be heard. speak out (about someone or something ) to express oneself about someone or something; to tell what one knows about some- one or something. speak out (against someone or something ) to speak negatively and publicly about someone or some- thing; to reveal something nega- tive, in speech, about someone or something. speak the same language [for people] to have similar ideas, tastes, etc. speak up to speak loudly. speak up for someone or some- thing to speak in favor of someone or something; to come forward and express favorable things about someone or something. speak with a forked tongue to tell lies; to try to deceive someone. speaker ["spik #] 1. n. someone who speaks; someone who makes speeches; someone who speaks a particular language. 2. n. the Speaker of the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives; the presiding officer in the U.S. House of Representa- tives; the representative of the majority party in the House who has the most seniority. (Capital- ized.) 3. n. a device that repro- duces sound, as found in a stereo, television, computer, etc. speaks for itself and speak for themselves to have an obvious meaning; not to need explaining; to need no explanation. special ["spE S@l] 1. adj. not ordi- nary; not regular; set apart from other things, especially for a par- ticular purpose or reason. (Adv: specially.) 2. n. something that is set apart from other things, espe- cially for a particular purpose or reason; a unique offering. 3. n. the offering of something for sale at a price that is Q. specific [sp@ "sIf Ik] adj. particular; certain; definite; precise; exact. (Adv: specifically [ Ik li].) specifics n. the details and facts of a matter. (Treated as singular.) spectacle ["spEk t@ k@l] n. some- thing to be viewed; something to be seen; a display; a scene. spectacles n. eyeglasses. (Old- fashioned. Treated as plural. Num- ber is expressed with pair(s) of spectacles.) spectator ["spEk te t#] n. someone who watches something but does not take part in it. speculation [spEk j@ "le S@n] 1. n. guessing; trying to determine something, especially without knowing all of the facts. (Plural only for types and instances.) 2. n. speculation 581 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 581 TLFeBOOK an investment in a risky business venture. sped ["spEd] past tense and past participle of speed. speech ["spitS] 1. n. the production of words by talking. (No plural.) 2. n. a lecture; a formal talk to a group of listeners. → part of speech speed ["spid] 1. iv., irreg. to move fast; to go fast, especially to go faster than the legal limit. (Past tense and past participle: sped.) 2. tv., irreg. to cause something to go or move fast; to cause some- thing to go or move faster. 3. n. the rate at which someone or something moves or does some- thing during a period of time. (Plural only for types and instances.) 4. n. rapid movement; the quickness with which someone or something moves. (No plural.) speed limit ["spid lIm @t] n. the legal maximum speed that a vehi- cle is permitted to travel; the fastest speed that a driver can operate a vehicle under the law on a particular road. speed someone or something up to cause someone or something to move faster. speed up to go faster. speedboat ["spid bot] n. a small boat that has a powerful engine that can be driven at high speeds, especially for pleasure on lakes and rivers. spell ["spEl] 1. tv., irreg. to say or write the letters of a word in the right order. (Past tense and past participle: spelled or, less fre- quently, spelt.) 2. tv., irreg. [for letters] to signify a word. 3. iv., irreg. to know how to say or write the letters of many words; to be able to spell words as in Q. spelt ["spElt] a past tense and past participle of spell. spend ["spEnd] 1. tv., irreg. to pay an amount of money for some- thing that one buys. (Past tense and past participle: spent.) 2. tv., irreg. to pass time; to use time or energy; to consume energy. spendthrift ["spEnd TrIft] n. some- one who wastes money; someone who spends too much money. spent ["spEnt] 1. past tense and past participle of spend. 2. adj. exhausted. sphere ["sfir] 1. n. a perfectly round object; a globe; a ball. 2. n. the area or domain where some- one or something has an influence or an effect; the place or environ- ment in which someone or some- thing exists or acts. spherical ["sfEr I k@l] adj. shaped like a sphere. (Adv: spherically [ Ik li].) spice ["spaIs] 1. n. an herb or other vegetable fiber or seed that tastes or smells unique and is used to give extra flavor to food. 2. n. something that adds excitement or flavor. (Figurative on Q. No plu- ral.) 3. tv. to season or flavor food with Q. spice something up 1. to make some food more spicy. 2. to make something more interesting, lively, or sexy. (Figurative.) sped 582 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 582 TLFeBOOK spicy ["spaIs i] 1. adj. flavored with spices; seasoned with spices; hav- ing a sharp flavor. (Adv: spicily. Comp: spicier; sup: spiciest.) 2. adj. somewhat vulgar; slightly sexually oriented. (Adv: spicily. Comp: spicier; sup: spiciest.) spider ["spaI d#] n. a small crea- ture with eight legs whose body produces a silk thread that it uses to make a web, which is then used to trap insects, which it eats. spike ["spaIk] 1. n. a large, thick, metal nail that comes to a sharp point. 2. n. a pointed metal or plastic object on the bottom of a shoe that gives the wearer extra traction. (Also called a cleat.) 3. n. a sharp peak on a graph; an increase that can be represented as a peak on a graph. spill ["spIl] 1. tv., irreg. to cause something, especially a liquid, to pour from a container by accident; to cause something, especially a liquid, to fall. (Past tense and past participle: spilled or, less fre- quently, spilt.) 2. iv., irreg. [for something, especially a liquid] to fall or be poured from a container by accident. 3. n. something, espe- cially a liquid, that has fallen or been poured from a container by accident. 4. n. a fall from some- thing. → cry over spilled milk spill the beans Go to let the cat out of the bag. spilt ["spIlt] a past tense and past participle of spill. spin ["spIn] 1. iv., irreg. to turn around in circles quickly. (Past tense and past participle: spun. Spinned is often heard.) 2. iv., irreg. to rotate on an axis. 3. iv., irreg. [for one’s surroundings] to seem to revolve. 4. iv., irreg. to pull and twist, making thread or yarn from wool, cotton, or other fibers. 5. tv., irreg. to cause some- one or something to turn around in circles quickly. 6. tv., irreg. to pull and twist fibers into thread or yarn. 7. tv., irreg. [for a spider] to make a web. 8. tv., irreg. to create a tale, story, or lie. 9. n. a short trip in or on a vehicle. → make someone’s head spin → put a spin on something spin a yarn to tell a tale. spin off [for something] to part and fly away from something that is spinning; [for something] to detach or break loose from some- thing. spinach ["spIn ItS] 1. n. a leafy, green vegetable. (No plural.) 2. adj. made of or with Q. spine ["spaIn] 1. n. the column of bones and the nerves within it that are at the center of the back of humans and certain other animals. 2. n. any long, narrow, stiff thing that provides support, such as the side of a cover of a book where the pages are attached. (Figurative on Q.) 3. n. a stiff, pointed growth as found on certain plants and ani- mals, providing protection. spire ["spaI#] n. the top part of a steeple; the top part of a structure on top of a building that comes to a point. spirit ["spIr It] 1. n. the part of a human that is separate from the body (and that some religions spirit 583 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 583 TLFeBOOK believe never dies); the part of the body that controls emotion and intellect; the soul. 2. n. a being that does not have a body; a ghost. 3. n. the driving force of some- thing; something that provides energy or force to something; zeal. (Figurative on Q. No plural.) spirits n. strong drink containing alcohol. spit ["spIt] 1. iv., irreg. to expel the natural fluid from one’s mouth; to push fluid out of one’s mouth. (Past tense and past participle: spit or spat.) 2. tv., irreg. to expel something from one’s mouth; to push something out of one’s mouth. 3. n. fluid or mucus that comes from someone’s mouth. (No plural.) 4. n. a thin rod with a sharp end that food is pushed onto so that it can be roasted over a fire. spite ["spaIt] n. a desire to annoy someone else or get revenge; mal- ice. (No plural.) → cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face → in spite of someone or something → out of spite splash ["splAS] 1. iv. [for liquid] to scatter in many drops; [for liquid] to fall and spread in waves. 2. tv. to cause a liquid to scatter in many drops or waves. 3. n. an instance of a liquid scattering as in Q, and the sound that goes with it. splatter ["splAt #] 1. iv. to splash, especially in a careless, clumsy, or messy way. 2. tv. to splash a liquid, especially in a careless, clumsy, or messy way. spleen ["splin] n. an organ in the body, near the stomach, that filters the blood and destroys old, used blood cells. → vent one’s spleen on someone or something splendid ["splEn dId] adj. excellent; very good; brilliant; wonderful; super. (Adv: splendidly.) splice ["splaIs] 1. tv. to fasten the ends of two pieces of something together by weaving, taping, or otherwise connecting them. 2. n. a joint or connection that has been made by weaving, taping, or oth- erwise connecting the ends of two pieces of something. splint ["splInt] n. a flat object that is secured to a person’s finger, toe, or limb in order to give support or to keep a broken bone in place. splinter ["splIn t#] 1. n. a sliver; a thin, sharp broken-off piece of wood, glass, or some other mate- rial. 2. adj. [of a group of people] separated from a larger group of people. (Prenominal only.) 3. iv. to separate from a larger object or group; to break into smaller pieces or groups. 4. tv. to break some- thing into Q. split ["splIt] 1. tv., irreg. to separate something into sections, layers, or groups; to divide something into sections, layers, or groups. (Past tense and past participle: split.) 2. tv., irreg. to cut something along its length. 3. tv., irreg. to share something among members of a group; to divide something among members of a group. 4. iv., irreg. [for people or things] to separate into sections, layers, or groups. 5. iv., irreg. [for something] to break or tear open along its length. spirits 584 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 584 TLFeBOOK 6. n. the crack, cut, or break made by breaking or cutting something, as in W. 7. n. a separation within a group. 8. adj. separated; divided; cut from end to end. → vote a split ticket split off (from something ) to sepa- rate away from something; to sever connection with and sepa- rate from something. split people up to separate two or more people. split someone or something up (into something ) to divide people or things up into something, such as groups. split something off ((of) some- thing ) to sever connection with something and separate. split the difference to divide the difference between two amounts (with someone else). spoil ["spoIl] 1. iv. to become rot- ten; to rot; to decay. 2. tv. to ruin something; to destroy something; to make something so that it can no longer be used. 3. tv. to treat someone too well; to raise a child without discipline. spoke ["spok] past tense of speak. spoken ["spok @n] Past participle of speak. sponge ["sp^ndZ] 1. n. any of a group of small animals that live in the water, attach themselves to underwater objects, and form a soft, flexible skeleton. 2. n. the soft skeleton of Q used for cleaning or the absorption of liquids, or an artificial substance having the same qualities. → throw in the sponge sponge someone or something down to remove the [excess] moisture from someone or some- thing. sponge something away to absorb, wipe up, or wipe away something. sponsor ["span s#] 1. n. someone or an organization that supports and guides another person or organization. 2. n. someone who assumes responsibility for creating or developing something. 3. n. a business that advertises during a radio or television program. 4. tv. to support someone or an organi- zation, usually with money, often for the sake of publicity. spool ["spul] n. something that thread, film, wire, etc., can be wound around. spoon ["spun] 1. n. a utensil that is made of a small, shallow oval bowl at the end of a handle, used for serving food, stirring drinks, and eating liquids and soft foods. 2. tv. to move something to a place with Q. → born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth spoon-feed someone to treat someone with too much care or help; to teach someone with meth- ods that are too easy and do not stimulate the learner to independ- ent thinking. sport ["sport] 1. n. competition and physical activity as found in games and some outdoor activities. (No plural.) 2. n. a particular game involving physical activity and competition. a sporting chance a reasonably good chance. sporting chance 585 08 7/23/03 8:50 AM Page 585 TLFeBOOK . n. the top part of a steeple; the top part of a structure on top of a building that comes to a point. spirit ["spIr It] 1. n. the part of a human that is separate from the body (and that some. speaks a particular language. 2. n. the Speaker of the U.S. House of Rep- resentatives; the presiding of cer in the U.S. House of Representa- tives; the representative of the majority party in. tense and past participle of speed. speech ["spitS] 1. n. the production of words by talking. (No plural.) 2. n. a lecture; a formal talk to a group of listeners. → part of speech speed