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Definition of speaker noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

speaker

noun
 
 
/ˈspiːkə(r)/
 
/ˈspiːkər/
Word Family
  • speak verb
  • speaker noun
  • speech noun
  • spoken adjective (≠ unspoken)
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  1.  
     a person who gives a talk or makes a speech
    • He was a guest speaker at the conference.
    • a keynote speaker at the Republican convention
    • She was a brilliant public speaker.
    • The Society has an interesting talk by a visiting speaker every month.
    • Previous speakers include two former US Secretaries of State.
    • He was much in demand as a visiting speaker.
    • The conference featured a number of distinguished speakers from the world of business and industry.
    • speaker on something She is a frequent speaker on human and civil rights.
    Wordfinder
    Extra Examples
    • He makes his living as a motivational speaker.
    • She's a good public speaker.
    • the commencement speaker at my graduation
    • Marina Warner was the keynote speaker at the conference.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • brilliant
    • good
    • great
    • …
    verb + speaker
    • feature
    • invite
    preposition
    • speaker at
    See full entry
  2.  
     a person who speaks a particular language
    • English speakers
    • Spanish/Arabic/Chinese speakers
    • speaker of something a fluent speaker of German
    Synonyms speakerspeakercommunicator ▪ gossip ▪ talkerThese are all words for a person who talks or who is talking, especially in a particular way.speaker a person who is or was speaking; a person who speaks a particular language:
    • I looked around to see who the speaker was.
    • a fluent Arabic speaker
    communicator (rather formal) a person who is able to describe their ideas and feelings clearly to others:
    • The ideal candidate will be an effective communicator.
    gossip (disapproving) a person who enjoys talking about other people’s private lives:
    • Don't tell anyone, because some people are terrible gossips.
    talker a person who talks in a particular way or who talks a lot:
    • He’s a very persuasive talker.
    • She’s a (great) talker (= she talks a lot).
     speaker or talker?Talker is used when you are talking about how much somebody talks or how well they talk. It is not used for the person who is or was talking: I looked round to see who the talker was. You can say that somebody is a good/​persuasive speaker but that means that they are good at making speeches. If you mean that they speak well in conversation, use talker.Patterns
    • a good/​great speaker/​communicator/​talker
    • an effective/​excellent speaker/​communicator
    see also native speaker
    Extra Examples
    • He's a fluent Arabic speaker.
    • speakers of English
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • fluent
    • native
    • non-native
    • …
    preposition
    • speaker of
    See full entry
  3.  
     a person who is or was speaking
    • I looked around to see who the speaker was.
    • A speaker conveys information through tone and body language.
    • Communication is an active process that involves both the speaker and the listener.
  4.  
     the part of a radio, computer or piece of musical equipment that the sound comes out of
    • The car had a powerful sound system with four speakers.
    see also loudspeaker, smart speaker
    Extra Examples
    • The computer has built-in stereo speakers.
    • a new set of speakers
    • sound effects coming from the rear speakers
    Topics TV, radio and newsb2, Musicb2
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective
    • left
    • right
    • front
    • …
    … of speaker
    • set
    speaker + noun
    • system
    • phone
    See full entry
  5. (the) Speaker
     the title of the person whose job is to control the discussions in a parliament
    • the Speaker of the House of Commons/Representatives
    CultureIn Britain the Speaker is the person who is in charge of debates in the House of Commons. They decide who speaks in a debate, call for a vote at the end, and keep order. They are elected by MPs of all the political parties, and must treat all parties fairly during debates. When MPs address the Speaker during a debate, they say 'Mr Speaker' or 'Madam Speaker'.In the US the Speaker is the person who is in charge of most of the activities of the House of Representatives.They are responsible for keeping order in debates, for naming the members of committees, and for referring bills to committees. The Speaker of the House is chosen by the party with the majority in the House and is one of their leaders. They are addressed as 'Mr Speaker' or 'Madam Speaker'.
    Topics Politicsc2
See speaker in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee speaker in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
Check pronunciation: speaker

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