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Uttered in speech; delivered by word of mouth; oral; as, a spoken narrative; the spoken word.

r speech, or uttered with fairness; bland; civil; courteous; plausible. "A marvelous fair-spoken man." Hooker.

Using profane, scurrilous, slanderous, or obscene language. Shak.

Accustomed to speak without reserve. Bacon. -- Free"-spo`ken-ness, n.

Speaking, or spoken, freely, openly, or boldly; as, an outspoken man; an outspoken rebuke. -- Out*spo"ken*ness, n.

Speaking with plain, unreserved sincerity; also, spoken sincerely; as, plain-spoken words. Dryden.

Spoken or speaking prettily. [Colloq.]

Speaking in a quick or short manner; hence, gruff; curt. [Colloq.]

Speaking smoothly; plausible; flattering; smooth-tongued.

Speaking softly; having a mild or gentle voice; hence, mild; affable.

Speaking with directness; plain-spoken. [Colloq. U.S.] Lowell.

Speaking well; speaking with fitness or grace; speaking kindly. "A knight well-spoken." Shak.

shorten; to abridge; to reduce by contraction or omission, especially of words written or spoken. It is one thing to abbreviate by contracting, another by cutting off. Bacon.

g to regulate the pronunciation; esp.: (a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent; (b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked; as, the French accents.

To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost. Are not your orders to address the senate Addison. The representatives of the nation addressed the king. Swift.

Easy to be spoken to or addressed; receiving others kindly and conversing with them in a free and friendly manner; courteous; sociable. An affable and courteous gentleman. Shak. His manners polite and affable. Macaulay.

The science of representing spoken sounds by letters.

The expression of spoken sounds by an alphabet. Encyc. Brit.

Distinctly uttered; spoken so as to be intelligible; characterized by division into words and syllables; as, articulate speech, sounds, words. Total changes of party and articulate opinion. Carlyle.

Something spoken aside; as, a remark made by a stageplayer which the other players are not supposed to hear.