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Who was the original host of The Tonight Show, the first successful late-night TV talk show?

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talk

American  

[tawk] / tɔk /

verb (used without object)

• talks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• talked,
  past participle,  past
• talking
  present participle

1. to communicate or exchange ideas, information, etc., by speaking.

   to talk about poetry.

2. to consult or confer.

   Talk with your adviser.

3. to spread a rumor or tell a confidence; gossip.

4. to chatter or prate.

   Synonyms:

   prattle

5. to employ speech; perform the act of speaking.

   to talk very softly; to talk into a microphone.

6. to deliver a speech, lecture, etc..

   The professor talked on the uses of comedy in the tragedies of Shakespeare.

7. to give or reveal confidential or incriminating information.

   After a long interrogation, the spy finally talked.

8. to communicate ideas by means other than speech, as by writing, signs, or signals.

9. Computers. to transmit data, as between computers or between a computer and a terminal.

10. to make sounds imitative or suggestive of speech.

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verb (used with object)

• talks,
  present (3rd person singular)
• talked,
  past participle,  past
• talking
  present participle

1. to express in words; utter.

   to talk sense.

2. to use (a specified language or idiom) in speaking or conversing.

   They talk French together for practice.

3. to discuss.

   to talk politics.

4. Informal. (used only in progressive tenses) to focus on; signify or mean; talk about.

   This isn't a question of a few hundred dollars—we're talking serious money.

5. to bring, put, drive, influence, etc., by talk.

   to talk a person to sleep; to talk a person into doing something.

noun

• talks
  plural

1. the act of talking; speech; conversation, especially of a familiar or informal kind.

2. an informal speech or lecture.

   Synonyms:

   confabulation, parley, dialogue, colloquy

3. (usually plural) a conference or negotiating session.

   peace talks.

4. report or rumor; gossip.

   There is a lot of talk going around about her.

5. a subject or occasion of talking, especially of gossip.

   Your wild escapades are the talk of the neighborhood.

   Synonyms:

   prattle

6. mere empty speech.

   That's just a lot of talk.

7. a way of talking.

   a halting, lisping talk.

8. language, dialect, or lingo.

9. signs or sounds imitative or suggestive of speech, as the noise made by loose parts in a mechanism.

verb phrase

1. talk over

   1. to weigh in conversation; consider; discuss.

   2. to cause (someone) to change an opinion; convince by talking.

      He became an expert at talking people over to his views.

2. talk up

   1. to promote interest in; discuss enthusiastically.

   2. to speak without hesitation; speak distinctly and openly.

      If you don't talk up now, you may not get another chance.

3. talk back to reply to a command, request, etc., in a rude or disrespectful manner.

   Her father never allowed them to talk back.

4. talk down

   1. to overwhelm by force of argument or by loud and persistent talking; subdue by talking.

   2. to speak disparagingly of; belittle.

   3. Also talk in. to give instructions to by radio for a ground-controlled landing, especially to a pilot who is unable to make a conventional landing because of snow, fog, etc.

5. talk out

   1. to talk until conversation is exhausted.

   2. to attempt to reach a settlement or understanding by discussion.

      We arrived at a compromise by talking out the problem.

   3. British Politics. to thwart the passage of (a bill, motion, etc.) by prolonging discussion until the session of Parliament adjourns.

6. talk down to to speak condescendingly to; patronize.

   Children dislike adults who talk down to them.

7. talk at

   1. to talk to in a manner that indicates that a response is not expected or wanted.

   2. to direct remarks meant for one person to another person present; speak indirectly to.

8. talk of to debate as a possibility; discuss.

   The two companies have been talking of a merger.

9. talk around to bring (someone) over to one's way of thinking; persuade.

   She sounded adamant over the phone, but I may still be able to talk her around.

10. talk away to spend or consume (time) in talking.

    We talked away the tedious hours in the hospital.

idioms

1. talk to death,

   1. to impede or prevent the passage of (a bill) through filibustering.

   2. to talk to incessantly or at great length.

2. talk big, to speak boastingly; brag.

   He always talked big, but never amounted to anything.

3. talk someone's head / ear off, to bore or weary someone by excessive talk; talk incessantly.

   All I wanted was a chance to read my book, but my seatmate talked my ear off.

talk British  

/ tɔːk /

verb

1. (intr; often foll by to or with) to express one's thoughts, feelings, or desires by means of words (to); speak (to)

2. (intr) to communicate or exchange thoughts by other means

   lovers talk with their eyes

3. to exchange ideas, pleasantries, or opinions (about)

   to talk about the weather

4. (intr) to articulate words; verbalize

   his baby can talk

5. (tr) to give voice to; utter

   to talk rubbish

6. (tr) to hold a conversation about; discuss

   to talk business

7. (intr) to reveal information

   the prisoner talked after torture

8. (tr) to know how to communicate in (a language or idiom)

   he talks English

9. (intr) to spread rumours or gossip

   we don't want the neighbours to talk

10. (intr) to make sounds suggestive of talking

11. (intr) to be effective or persuasive

    money talks

12. informal at last you're saying something agreeable

13. to boast or brag

14. to speak about one's work, esp when meeting socially, sometimes with the effect of excluding those not similarly employed

15. to speak convincingly on a particular subject, showing apparent mastery of its jargon and themes; often used in combination with the expression walk the walk See also walk

16. informal you don't have to worry about doing a particular thing yourself

17. informal you yourself are guilty of offending in the very matter you are decrying

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noun

1. a speech or lecture

   a talk on ancient Rome

2. an exchange of ideas or thoughts

   a business talk with a colleague

3. idle chatter, gossip, or rumour

   there has been a lot of talk about you two

4. a subject of conversation; theme

   our talk was of war

5. (often plural) a conference, discussion, or negotiation

   talks about a settlement

6. a specific manner of speaking

   children's talk

talk More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing talk

• all talk
• dirty joke (talk dirty)
• double talk
• heart to heart (talk)
• look who's talking
• money talks
• now you're talking
• small talk
• straight talk
• sweet talk

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Usage

What is a basic definition of talk? Talk means to use speech in order to communicate or exchange ideas. Talk also means to gossip. As a noun talk refers to a conversation. Talk has many other senses as both a verb and a noun. When you talk, you use spoken language to communicate rather than gestures or written words. People talk to each other every day when they have chats, tell jokes, argue, or negotiate.

• Real-life examples: You talked to someone today if you spoke to them about something. It is common for people to talk to each other over the phone or by using live video. People often get lonely when they have no one to talk to.
• Used in a sentence: When Juan talked to his parents about his grades, he felt better.

Talk can also mean to spread rumors or gossip. When you talk about someone, you are not talking to them but to other people.

• Used in a sentence: The mysterious new building on the edge of town got people talking about what it would be used for. 

Talk used in this same sense as a noun means gossip or rumors.

• Used in a sentence: There’s talk around the studio that the director is working on a secret movie project. 

Talk is also used as a noun to mean a conversation or a discussion.

• Used in a sentence: I had a serious talk with my daughter about sneaking animals into the house. 

Synonym Usage

See speak.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• nontalker
  noun
• talkability
  noun
• talker
  noun
• undertalk
  noun
• overtalk
  verb
• intertalk
  verb (used without object)
• talkable
  adjective
• untalking
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• talks
  plural

Participles

• talking
  present
• talked
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• talk
  simple
• talks
  simple
• have talked
  perfect
• has talked
  perfect
• am talking
  progressive
• are talking
  progressive
• is talking
  progressive
• have been talking
  perfect progressive
• has been talking
  perfect progressive

Past

• talked
  simple
• had talked
  perfect
• was talking
  progressive
• were talking
  progressive
• had been talking
  perfect progressive

Future

• will talk
  simple
• will have talked
  perfect
• will be talking
  progressive
• will have been talking
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of talk

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English talk(i)en “to converse, speak,” derivative (with -k suffix) of tale “speech, discourse,” tale; cognate with Frisian (eastern dialect) talken

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Explanation

When you open your mouth and say something, you talk. You tell someone something, or have a conversation, or exchange information. A speech can also be called a talk. Talk is a word that’s always connected to speaking. In a movie, a hero being tortured by bad guys might be told that they will "make him talk," which means they want him to reveal secret info. Someone who is "the talk of the town" is being gossiped about by everyone. If someone says, "We need to talk," it often means they have bad news for you. Anytime people are conversing, chatting, or blabbing, they're talking.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

talk talks talked talking

But, Dr Emmerson added, you should "pick the right time to talk about things that are difficult - not late at night, not when they've just come through the door".

From BBC ● Nov. 9, 2026

She said Monday she had not yet heard from the prime minister but was keen to talk.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

At a time when she sees people becoming increasingly reluctant to talk to strangers, Sweet Antelope creates space for vulnerability that she believes many people’s lives lack.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 9, 2026

“I don’t talk politics with him,” White said in a previous interview with the Journal.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Also, Nollie had things to talk about: the year before she had started Normal School.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

The meeting coincides with US-mediated talks with Moscow and Kyiv in Abu Dhabi scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday on ending the Ukraine war, with Europe concerned Kyiv must not be forced to accept disadvantageous conditions.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said there has been no progress in talks with the U.S. and that Tehran is waiting to see if Washington’s position shifts after the midterms.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 9, 2026

When Bass learned about the business tax repeal, she was “genuinely shocked at the depth of our frustration,” said Areen Ibranossian, a political strategist who represented hotels and airlines during the talks.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 8, 2026

For Ferrari, it has been a difficult weekend, that started with clear-the-air talks between Leclerc and Hamilton after their first-lap battle cost them victory in Mexico last weekend.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

But after Sabrina had been born a few months ago, our space talks had always been cut short.

From "Sir Fig Newton and the Science of Persistence" by Sonja Thomas

Milei, who grew up Catholic but has talked about converting to Judaism, has long had a confrontational relationship with the church.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 8, 2026

Giving some background ahead of the song “Lubbock or Leave It,” Maines talked about how she loved her hometown in West Texas until she left it.

From Slate ● Nov. 6, 2026

We talked about the kinds of questions people ask and why they ask them.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 5, 2026

However, as he talked with The Times, now older and sober, he is so much better equipped to handle fame and all its trappings.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 4, 2026

About how he talked more than he listened and made Avery feel bad when she couldn’t do a skateboarding trick he was trying to teach her and ditched her for other people at the pool.

From "Keeping Pace" by Laurie Morrison

"To get people talking about them and come across as the bad boys of the industry, the Houser brothers made it seem like GTA was encouraging kids to steal cars," said Mauco.

From Barron's ● Nov. 9, 2026

You retell it in a similar tone to how we’re talking now.

From Slate ● Nov. 8, 2026

Health officials from Wales are currently talking to those in the US to see what potential access pathways there are for Tate.

From BBC ● Nov. 7, 2026

“Obviously throughout the latter part of the year, it was stuff we were talking about and trying to put our finger on,” Friedman said last month.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

I sneak out of my room and stand outside the dining room, where I hear Dad and Grandma talking.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

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