Dī'a-lect, n.

n. [Gr. διάλεκτος, from διαλέγειν, διαλέγεσθαι, to converse, discourse, from διά, through, and λέγειν, to speak; Lat. dialectus, Fr. dialecte, Sp. dialecto, It. dialetto.]

1Sense 1. Means or mode of expressing thoughts; language; tongue; form of speech.

2Sense 2. The form of speech of a limited region or people, as distinguished from others nearly related to it; local form of a language; the branch of a parent language, with such local alterations as time, accident, and revolutions may have introduced among descendants of the same stock or family, living in separate or remote situations; patois.

[Charles V.] could address his subjects from every quarter in their native dialect. Prescott.

Synonyms—Language; idiom; tongue; speech; phraseology. See LANGUAGE and IDIOM.