speaker

¹

[spee-ker]

noun

1. a person who speaks.

2. a person who speaks formally before an audience; lecturer; orator.

3. (usually initial capital letter),  the presiding officer of the U.S. House of Representatives, the British House of Commons, or other such legislative assembly.

4. 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.

5. a book of selections for practice in declamation.

Speaker

²

[spee-ker]

noun

1. Tris(tram E.), 1888–1958, U.S. baseball player.

speaker

¹

/ ˈspiːkə /

noun

1. a person who speaks, esp at a formal occasion

2. See loudspeaker

Speaker

²

/ ˈspiːkə /

noun

1. 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

Other Word Forms

• speakership noun
• nonspeaker noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of speaker¹

Middle English word dating back to 1275–1325; speak, -er ¹

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. be / not be on speakers, speaking.

Example Sentences

Johnson said he understood that God would be choosing a new Moses to serve as the new speaker.

Read more on Salon

A former parliamentary speaker, Herminie was charged with witchcraft in 2023 in what he said was a politically motivated attempt to thwart his presidential ambitions.

Read more on BBC

At the rally, speakers referred to the US-brokered ceasefire as a positive but "precarious" development - adding they would not stop protesting until Palestinians were fully free.

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Speaker after speaker praised the private donors for making speed a priority.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The speakers may signal the outlook for future rate cuts, but they are unlikely to indicate a possible rate cut in November, Investec Economics said in a note.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal