dis·course /ˈdɪsˌkors, ˌkɔrs, dɪsˈ/
 談話,演講(vi.)談論,演說


 Dis·course n.
 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. Conversation; talk.
    In their discourses after supper.   --Shak.
    Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse.   --Locke.
 3. The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
    Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse.   --Shak.
 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. Dealing; transaction. [Obs.]
 Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse
 Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how
 We got the victory.   --Beau. &  Fl.


 Dis·course v. i. [imp. & p. p. Discoursed p. pr. & vb. n. Discoursing.]
 1. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason. [Obs.] “Have sense or can discourse.”
 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. To relate something; to tell.
 4. To treat of something in writing and formally.


 Dis·course, v. t.
 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. To utter or give forth; to speak.
    It will discourse most eloquent music.   --Shak.
 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.

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 discourse
      n 1: extended verbal expression in speech or writing
      2: an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a
         church service) [syn: sermon, preaching]
      3: an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with
         some particular topic; "the book contains an excellent
         discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race
         question is badly biased" [syn: discussion, treatment]
      v 1: to consider or examine in speech or writing; "The article
           covered all the different aspects of this question";
           "The class discussed Dante's `Inferno'" [syn: {talk
           about, discuss]
      2: carry on a conversation [syn: converse]
      3: talk or hold forth formally about a topic; "The speaker
         dissertated about the social politics in 18th century
         England" [syn: dissertate]