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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Discourse \Dis*course"\, n. [L. discursus a running to and fro,
discourse, fr. discurrere, discursum, to run to and fro, to
discourse; dis- currere to run: cf. F. discours. See
{Course}.]
1. 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. [Obs.]
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Difficult, strange, and harsh to the discourses of
natural reason. --South.
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Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and godlike reason
To fust in us unused. --Shak.
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2. Conversation; talk.
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In their discourses after supper. --Shak.
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Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the
mouth with copious discourse. --Locke.
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3. The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
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Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. --Shak.
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4. 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.
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5. Dealing; transaction. [Obs.]
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Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse
Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how
We got the victory. --Beau. & Fl.
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Discourse \Dis*course"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Discoursed}; p.
pr. & vb. n. {Discoursing}.]
1. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and
inferring; to reason. [Obs.] "Have sense or can
discourse." --Dryden.
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2. 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.
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Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear. --Shak.
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3. To relate something; to tell. --Shak.
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4. To treat of something in writing and formally.
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Discourse \Dis*course"\, v. t.
1. To treat of; to expose or set forth in language. [Obs.]
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The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently
and at large discoursed in the book. --Foxe.
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2. To utter or give forth; to speak.
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It will discourse most eloquent music. --Shak.
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3. To talk to; to confer with. [Obs.]
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I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to
discourse the minister about it. --Evelyn.
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