Elocution

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Elocution \El`o*cu"tion\, n. [L. elocutio, fr. eloqui, elocutus,
     to speak out: cf. F. ['e]locution. See {Eloquent}.]
     1. Utterance by speech. [R.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              [Fruit] whose taste . . .


              Gave elocution to the mute, and taught
              The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise.
                                                    --Milton.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. Oratorical or expressive delivery, including the graces of
        intonation, gesture, etc.; style or manner of speaking or
        reading in public; as, clear, impressive elocution. "The
        elocution of a reader." --Whately
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. Suitable and impressive writing or style; eloquent
        diction. [Obs.]
        [1913 Webster]
  
              To express these thoughts with elocution. --Dryden.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  elocution
       n : an expert manner of speaking involving control of voice and
           gesture

From Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0 [moby-thes]:

  38 Moby Thesaurus words for "elocution":
     accents, chatter, comment, conversation, debating, declamation,
     demagogism, discourse, eloquence, forensics, gab, homiletics,
     language, lecturing, oral communication, oratory, palaver, parole,
     platform oratory, prattle, public speaking, pyrotechnics,
     rabble-rousing, rapping, rhetoric, speaking, speech, speechcraft,
     speechification, speeching, speechmaking, stump speaking, talk,
     talking, wordcraft, words, yakkety-yak, yakking