1. (n.) The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning; range of reasoning faculty.

2. (n.) Conversation; talk.

3. (n.) The art and manner of speaking and conversing.

4. (n.) Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on duty.

5. (n.) Dealing; transaction.

6. (v. i.) To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason.

7. (v. i.) To express one's self in oral discourse; to expose one's views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse.

8. (v. i.) To relate something; to tell.

9. (v. i.) To treat of something in writing and formally.

10. (v. t.) To treat of; to expose or set forth in language.

11. (v. t.) To utter or give forth; to speak.

12. (v. t.) To talk to; to confer with.

accents act address air amplify analyze argue article assignment bandy words canvass causerie chalk talk chatter chew the fat chew the rag chin colloque colloquial discourse colloquize colloquy comment comment upon commentate commerce with commune with communicate communicate with communication communion confab confabulate consider controvert conversation converse converse with conversing criticize deal with debate deduction deductive reasoning deliberate deliberate upon deliver an address demonstration descant develop dilate discourse about discourse of reason discourse with discursive reason discuss discussion dispute disquisition dissert dissertate dissertation do elaborate elocution enact enlarge essay etude examination examine exchange exchange views excursus exercise expand expatiate explain exposit exposition expound feature first approach gab give a talk give-and-take go into handle harangue hold forth homework homily impersonate induction inductive reasoning inquire into instruction intercourse interlocution introductory study investigate knock around language lecture lecture-demonstration lesson logical thought lucubration memoir monograph moral moral lesson morality moralization moralize morceau note object lesson oral communication orate outline palaver pandect paper paragraph parole pass under review perform perorate personate philosophy piece platform play playact point a moral prattle preach preachification preaching preachment prelection preliminary study prolegomenon proof rap rapping ratiocination rationalism rationality rationalization rationalizing read a lesson reason reason about reason the point reasonableness reasoning recital recitation religious discourse remark remark upon research paper review rhetoric screed sermon sermonette sermonize set task shoot the breeze sift sketch skull session soapbox sophistry speak speak with speaking special article specious reasoning speech speechify study stump survey sweet reason take counsel with take the floor take the stump take up talk talk about talk of talk over talk together talking task teaching term paper theme thesis thresh out touch upon tract tractate travelogue treat treat of treatise treatment utterance ventilate verbal intercourse verbalization visit with voice words write up yakkety-yak yakking