DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
Be·speak v. t. [imp. Bespoke Bespake (Archaic); p. p. Bespoke, Bespoken p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeaking.]
1. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor.
Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor. --Sir W. Scott.
2. To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate.
[They] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the allies. --Swift.
3. To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or appearances.
When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster. --Locke.
4. To speak to; to address. [Poetic]
He thus the queen bespoke. --Dryden.
bespeak
v 1: be a signal for or a symptom of; "These symptoms indicate a
serious illness"; "Her behavior points to a severe
neurosis"; "The economic indicators signal that the euro
is undervalued" [syn: betoken, indicate, point, signal]
2: express the need or desire for; ask for; "She requested an
extra bed in her room"; "She called for room service"
[syn: request, call for, quest]
[also: bespoken, bespoke]
bespoken
adj 1: of clothing [syn: bespoke, made-to-order, tailored, tailor-made]
2: pledged to be married; "the engaged couple" [syn: affianced,
betrothed, engaged, pledged]