speech

noun (SAY WORDS)

/spiːtʃ/

Definition

B1 [U] the ability to talk, the activity of talking, or a piece of spoken language: Children usually develop speech in the second year of life. People who suffer a stroke may experience a loss of speech.Informal talking and conversation › [U] the way a person talks: His speech was slurred and I thought he was drunk.Ways of speaking B1 [U] the language used when talking: Some expressions are used more in speech than in writing.Informal talking and conversation › [C] a set of words spoken in a play: Do you know the words to Hamlet's famous speech at the beginning of Act III?Drama and plays

(Definition of speech noun (SAY WORDS) from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

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