Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Speak \Speak\, v. i. [imp. {Spoke}({Spake}Archaic); p. p.
   {Spoken}({Spoke}, Obs. or Colloq.); p. pr. & vb. n.
   {Speaking}.] [OE. speken, AS. specan, sprecan; akin to
   OF.ries. spreka, D. spreken, OS. spreken, G. sprechen, OHG.
   sprehhan, and perhaps to Skr. sph[=u]rj to crackle, to
   thunder. Cf. {Spark} of fire, {Speech}.]
   1. To utter words or articulate sounds, as human beings; to
      express thoughts by words; as, the organs may be so
      obstructed that a man may not be able to speak.

            Till at the last spake in this manner. --Chaucer.

            Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth. --1 Sam. iii.
                                                  9.

   2. To express opinions; to say; to talk; to converse.

            That fluid substance in a few minutes begins to set,
            as the tradesmen speak.               --Boyle.

            An honest man, is able to speak for himself, when a
            knave is not.                         --Shak.

            During the century and a half which followed the
            Conquest, there is, to speak strictly, no English
            history.                              --Macaulay.

   3. To utter a speech, discourse, or harangue; to adress a
      public assembly formally.

            Many of the nobility made themselves popular by
            speaking in Parliament against those things which
            were most grateful to his majesty.    --Clarendon.

   4. To discourse; to make mention; to tell.

            Lycan speaks of a part of C[ae]sar's army that came
            to him from the Leman Lake.           --Addison.

   5. To give sound; to sound.

            Make all our trumpets speak.          --Shak.

   6. To convey sentiments, ideas, or intelligence as if by
      utterance; as, features that speak of self-will.

            Thine eye begins to speak.            --Shak.

   {To speak of}, to take account of, to make mention of.
      --Robynson (More's Utopia).

   {To speak out}, to speak loudly and distinctly; also, to
      speak unreservedly.

   {To speak well for}, to commend; to be favorable to.

   {To speak with}, to converse with. ``Would you speak with
      me?'' --Shak.

   Syn: To say; tell; talk; converse; discourse; articulate;
        pronounce; utter.

Speaking \Speak"ing\, a.
   1. Uttering speech; used for conveying speech; as, man is a
      speaking animal; a speaking tube.

   2. Seeming to be capable of speech; hence, lifelike; as, a
      speaking likeness.

   {A speaking acquaintance}, a slight acquaintance with a
      person, or one which merely permits the exchange of
      salutations and remarks on indifferent subjects.

   {Speaking trumpet}, an instrument somewhat resembling a
      trumpet, by which the sound of the human voice may be so
      intensified as to be conveyed to a great distance.

   {Speaking tube}, a tube for conveying speech, especially from
      one room to another at a distance.

   {To be on speaking terms}, to be slightly acquainted.

Source : WordNet®

speaking
     adj 1: capable of or involving speech or speaking; "human
            beings--the speaking animals"; "a speaking part in the
            play" [syn: {speaking(a)}] [ant: {nonspeaking}]
     2: capable of speech; "the speaking animal" [syn: {speaking(a)},
         {speech-endowed}]
     n 1: the utterance of intelligible speech [syn: {speech
          production}]
     2: delivering an address to a public audience; "people came to
        see the candidates and hear the speechmaking" [syn: {public
        speaking}, {speechmaking}, {oral presentation}]