Say \say\, n. [From say, v. t.; cf. saw, a saying.]
- 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 say, That fell so ominous
and drear Full on the object of his fear. --Sir W
Scott
- The chance to speak; "let him have his say"
Say \say\, v. i
To speak; to express an opinion; to
make answer; to reply
You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest
judge. --Shak
To this argument we shall soon have said; for what
concerns it us to hear a husband divulge his household privacies?
--Milton
Say \say\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Said (sêd),
contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n. saying.] [OE.
seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen,
sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D.
zeggen, LG seggen, OHG. sag[=e]n, G. sagen,
Icel. segja, Sw. säga, Dan. sige, Lith.
sakyti; cf. OL. insece tell, relate, Gr
'e`nnepe (for 'en-sepe), 'e`spete. Cf. Saga,
Saw, a saying.]
- To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare;
as, he said many wise things
Arise, and say how thou camest here.
--Shak
- To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a
lesson
Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou
hadst to say? --Shak
After which shall be said or sung the following hymn.
--Bk. of Com Prayer
- 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
- 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 miles
Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is
twenty hundred kisses such a trouble? --Shak
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
- Report or maintain; "He alleged that he was the victim of a
crime"; "He said it was too late to intervene in the war"; "The
registrar says that I owe the school money" [syn: allege,
aver]
- Have or contain a certain wording or form; "The passage reads
as follows"; "What does the law say?" [syn: read]
- State as one's opinion or judgement; declare; "I say let's
forget this whole business"
- Utter aloud; "She said 'Hello' to everyone in the office"
- Tell somebody to do something; "I said to him to go home"; "She
ordered him to do the shopping" [syn: order, tell, enjoin]
- Speak, pronounce, or utter in a certain way; "I cannot say 'zip
wire'" [syn: pronounce, articulate, enounce, enunciate]
- Recite or repeat a fixed text; "Say grace"; "She said her 'Hail
Mary'"
- Communicate or express nonverbally; "What does this painting
say?" "Did his face say anything about how he felt?"
- Indicate; "The clock says noon"
Say \say\, n. [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L.
saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen
mantle; cf. Gr. sa`gos.]
- A kind of silk or satin. [Obs.]
Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord!
--Shak
- A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth. [Obs.] His garment
neither was of silk nor say. --Spenser
Say \say\, v. t
To try; to assay. [Obs.] --B.
Jonson
Say \say\ (s[=a]), n. [Aphetic form of assay.]
- 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.
--Shak
- Tried quality; temper; proof. [Obs.]
He found a sword of better say. --Spenser
- Essay; trial; attempt. [Obs.] To give a say at, to attempt.
--B. Jonson
Say \say\ (s[=a]), obs. imp. of See
Saw. --Chaucer
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