a person who speaks formally before an audience; lecturer; orator.
(usually initial capital letter)the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, the British House of Commons, or other such legislative assembly.
Also called loudspeaker. an electroacoustic device, often housed in a cabinet, that is connected as a component in an audio system, its function being to make speech or music audible.
the presiding officer in any of numerous legislative bodies, including the House of Commons in Britain and Canada and the House of Representatives in the US, Australia, and New Zealand
c.1300, "one who speaks," agent noun from speak (v.). First applied to "person who presides over an assembly" c.1400, from Anglo-French (late 14c.). In reference to the English Parliament, Sir Thomas de Hungerford apparently was the first.
