noun

• 1A person who speaks.

  ‘language communication involves the interrelation between speaker and hearer’

  More example sentences

  • ‘This has the effect of distancing the speaker from the hearer.’
  • ‘The closeness between the two speakers gave their following conversation a clandestine air.’
  • ‘The underlying system of rules also enables the hearer to understand what the speaker said.’
  • ‘What is presupposed in this sense is not asserted by the speaker but is nevertheless understood by the hearer.’
  • ‘It's only a few speakers that get the attention.’
  • ‘The gesture of raising the eyebrows in conversation expresses one's understanding of the speaker's speech and is an invitation to continue.’
  • ‘In ordinary speech, speakers are apt to shift and slide between the possible registers.’

  1. 1.1A person who delivers a speech or lecture.
     ‘our guest speaker will give an audiovisual presentation’
     More example sentences

     • ‘In a majority of the lectures, speakers focused on the historical circumstances of photography that have led to its current state.’
     • ‘Guest speakers include David Ledsham, lecturer in art and design at the University of Ulster, and John Wood from Goldsmiths College in London.’
     • ‘In 1962 he was a guest speaker at Cambridge's University Indian Society.’
     • ‘There will be a three day long slide show of pictures and a guest speaker.’
     • ‘The guest speaker was a gentleman by the name of John Todd.’
     • ‘When I was 8 or 9 years old our school had a guest speaker come and talk to us about the years he had spent living in China.’
     • ‘The guest speaker was Dr Christina Swart-Opperman, the Namibian Businesswoman of the Year 2002.’
     • ‘The guest speaker for the week-long celebration will be Jeremy Watson, a leading expert on Spanish wines.’
     • ‘When Valley Springs held its annual meeting last year, the guest speaker was well known to many of the members.’
     • ‘As a part of our career week next week, we have hired a guest speaker!’
     • ‘The guest speaker during the launch was the Minister of Trade and Industry, Hon Jesaya Nyamu.’
     • ‘As a guest speaker, Gongo said most problems in Africa are likely to take place where the rule of one leader is long and endless.’
     • ‘She half heard the guest speaker introduce himself and welcome the audience to the ceremony.’
     • ‘She was all fired up about this MP who attended as a guest speaker.’
     • ‘Glancing up to look at the guest speaker, Elizabeth was shocked to see his eyes resting on her.’
     • ‘The guest speaker at the function is the renowned Namibian athlete, Agnes Samaria.’
     • ‘There was a bit of confusion on who was going to be the guest speaker at the start of the event.’
     • ‘Five years ago, Cimine recalls, a scheduled speaker became too ill to deliver a speech for an OAAA regional conference.’
     • ‘The dinner featured a guest speaker, a souvenir program with financial ads and patrons, and much joyous singing and praise to God.’
     • ‘He is a well-known public speaker and has lectured in Ireland, England and the USA.’
     Synonyms

     speech-maker, public speaker, lecturer, talker, speechifier, expounder, orator, declaimer, rhetorician, haranguer

     View synonyms
  2. 1.2usually with modifier or in combination A person who speaks a specified language.
     ‘he is a fluent English and French speaker’
     More example sentences

     • ‘What marks a proficient second or foreign language speaker is their command of idioms and other fixed expressions.’
     • ‘The intermarriage of Bantu language speakers with the Khoe and San peoples gave rise to new varieties of languages such as Xhosa.’
     • ‘A native Marathi speaker, Bal keeps a bound volume of Ramdas open on his table.’
     • ‘The last fluent speaker of the Carib language reportedly died in the 1920s, although efforts are now being made to revive that language.’
     • ‘What's most fascinating is that non-native English speakers now outnumber native English speakers.’
     • ‘Native English speakers would have to learn Mandarin if they were interested in participating in international programs.’
     • ‘Today there are around sixty-five thousand native Gaelic speakers.’
     • ‘To perform this task, a number of native French speakers were asked to lend their voices for recording.’
     • ‘The number of native Bajan speakers has declined in recent decades.’

• 2

  (also Speaker)

  The presiding officer in a legislative assembly, especially the House of Commons.

  ‘President Delaney, the Speaker of the House, and a bevy of civilian and military officials sat silently as the count slowly approached zero.’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Russell is a policy analyst for the Office of the Speaker of the Ohio House of Representatives.’
  • ‘Three years later he became the first Speaker of the new House of Assembly and held that position until he retired in October 1880.’
  • ‘The Speaker of the House and the vice president of the Senate decide who should be on the conference committee.’
  • ‘One of the trio could become the next Speaker of the House, second in the Presidential line of succession.’
  • ‘Once introduced, the bill is in the hands of the Speaker of the House or the Majority Leader in the Senate.’
  • ‘As the leader of the majority party in the House, the Speaker also plays a major role in shaping and implementing party decisions on forthcoming legislation.’
  • ‘In 1521 he was made the Kingdom's Undertreasurer and knighted, and in 1523 he became the Speaker of the House of Commons.’
  • ‘The Speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin MP, said he hoped that many people would tune in to the new service.’
  • ‘Becoming Speaker of the House of Commons is happily no longer so precarious, but it certainly has its difficulties.’
  • ‘It would be awkward for the embattled Speaker to preside over the affairs of the House during the course of the investigation.’
  • ‘The impact of the Speaker is even greater when the House is dealing with private members' bills.’
  • ‘The Speaker's House continues to function as it was intended, as a setting for formal entertaining by the Speaker on behalf of the House of Commons.’
  • ‘Lorraine Brown is the Speaker of the Northern Territory Parliament.’
  • ‘The Speaker called the Senate to order and then opened up the Assembly to the bills to be voted on.’
  • ‘With the assistance of the Speaker, the committee again secured more time to investigate the accounts and records.’

• 3

  short for loudspeaker

  ‘the two speakers let the netbook feature stereo sound’

  More example sentences

  • ‘Lightning Audio produces amplifiers, speakers, subwoofers and accessories for mobile audio markets.’
  • ‘Creative sells a set of stereo speakers with no subwoofer that you can find online for about $15.’
  • ‘It includes a DVD player, a receiver, five surround speakers, and a subwoofer.’
  • ‘High - end PC stereo systems complete with subwoofer speakers are finding their way into the mainstream.’
  • ‘The software turns a PC equipped with a microphone, speakers, and broadband connection into a 21st century telephone.’
  • ‘The state-of-the-art sound system has 48 speakers and subwoofers.’
  • ‘You'll want at least two quality speakers and a subwoofer.’
  • ‘The first modems were hooked up to telephones through little speakers and microphones in a cradle that held the telephone handpiece.’
  • ‘Forget about the rear speakers or the subwoofer; they won't be needed.’
  • ‘Beanbags and instruments were set around the room, waiting to be used, along with microphones and speakers.’
  • ‘You'll need at least five speakers to create full surround-sound audio.’
  • ‘On November 3 I ordered a complete digital TV and DVD system with surround sound speakers.’
  • ‘A built-in sub-woofer beefs up the sound output by unit's stereo speakers.’
  • ‘Just then, the song began over the speaker system and my jaw dropped.’
  • ‘Someone had gained access to the cafeteria's speaker system and was playing music.’
  • ‘A speaker system has been rigged up to relay the service to crowds outside.’