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discourse

dis·course [ díss kàwrss ]


noun  (plural dis·cours·es)
Definition:
 
1. serious speech or piece of writing: a serious and lengthy speech or piece of writing about a topic

2. serious conversation: serious discussion about something between people or groups

3. linguistics language: language, especially the type of language used in a particular context or subject
political discourse

4. linguistics major unit of language: a unit of language, especially spoken language, that is longer than the sentence. The term is used by linguists when investigating features of language that extend beyond sentences.



intransitive verb  (past and past participle dis·coursed, present participle dis·cours·ing, 3rd person present singular dis·cours·es)
Definition:
 
1. seriously speak or write on topic: to speak or write about a subject in a formal context and at length
In the second part, the author discourses on ethics.

2. converse: to have a conversation ( formal )

[15th century. < Latin discursus "running to and fro" < discurrere "to run apart" < currere "to run"]

dis·cours·er [ diss káwrsər ] noun
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