dis•course
Pronunciation: (n.dis'kôrs, -kōrs, dis-kôrs', -kōrs'v.dis-kôrs', -kōrs'), [key]
— n., v., -coursed, -cours•ing.
—n.
- communication of thought by words; talk; conversation: earnest and intelligent discourse.
- a formal discussion of a subject in speech or writing, as a dissertation, treatise, sermon, etc.
- any unit of connected speech or writing longer than a sentence.
—v.i.
- to communicate thoughts orally; talk; converse.
- to treat of a subject formally in speech or writing.
—v.t.
- to utter or give forth (musical sounds).
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.