discourse
noun
communication of thought by words; talk; conversation.
had been discoursing
-
past perfect progressiveof discourse.past perfect progressive
Used to describe an action that was ongoing continuously in the past up until another past event interrupted it.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At the end of the time Kent strolled back to the Square where Simon P. Groot had been discoursing.
From The Secret of Lonesome Cove by Samuel Hopkins Adams
He poured tea into two collapsible cups and passed one to Rodney, who had been discoursing for some time on his special topic, the art of doing without.
From The Lee Shore by Dame Rose Macaulay
Lady Sarah Maitland appeared with a bewitching smile and begged to introduce the honourable gentleman, who had been discoursing with so much eloquence to a friend of hers.
From An Algonquin Maiden A Romance of the Early Days of Upper Canada by A. Ethelwyn Wetherald
Our Lord had been discoursing, in very solemn words, which, starting from the historical event of the impending fall of Jerusalem, had gradually passed into a description of the greater event of His second coming.
From Expositions of Holy Scripture : St. Matthew Chaps. IX to XXVIII by Alexander Maclaren
Not long before she died I had been discoursing with her on the quantity of real present emotion which a great tragic performer experiences during acting.
From The Works of Charles and Mary Lamb — Volume 2 Elia and The Last Essays of Elia by Charles Lamb
