speaker

Pronunciation: /ˈspikɚ/

Reading level: hard

Estimated CEFR level: B2 — Upper-Intermediate

Estimated from word frequency; not an official CEFR classification.

Definition

  1. noun someone who expresses in language; someone who talks (especially someone who delivers a public speech or someone especially garrulous)
  2. noun electro-acoustic transducer that converts electrical signals into sounds loud enough to be heard at a distance
  3. noun the presiding officer of a deliberative assembly

Etymology

From Middle English speker, spekere, an alteration (with change of suffix) of Old English speca, spreca (“speaker”), from Proto-Germanic *sprekô (“speaker”), equivalent to speak + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Spreeker (“speaker”), West Frisian sprekker (“speaker”), Dutch spreker (“speaker”), German Low German Spreker (“speaker”), German Sprecher (“speaker”).

In classic literature

Synonyms

talker, utterer, verbalizer, verbaliser

Semantic network

Broader (hypernyms)
articulator
Narrower (hyponyms)
conversationalist, alliterator, talking head, native speaker, lecturer, wailer

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