Say

v. t. [imp. & p. p. SAID (contracted from sayed); p. pr. & vb. n. SAYING.] [O. Eng. segge, seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, A. S. secgan, seggan, O. Sax. seggian, O. Fries. sega, D. zeggen, L. Ger. seggen, O. H. Ger. sagôn, sagên, saggian, segian, N. H. Ger. sagen, Icel. segia, Sw. säga, Dan. sige.] 1. To utter in words; to tell; to speak; to pronounce; to declare. Arise, and say how thou camest here. Shak. 2. To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a lesson. Of my instruction hast thou nothing 'bated In what thou hadst to say? Shak. 3. To announce as a decision or opinion; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to. But what it is, hard is to say. Milton. It is said, or they say, it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain.—Say, in the imperative, used parenthetically; tell me: speak.—That is to say, that is; in other words; otherwise.

To make answer; to express an opinion; to reply.

To this argument we shall soon have said; for what concerns it us to hear a husband divulging his household privacies? Milton.

n. [A-S. sagu. See SAW.] A speech; something said; a current story; a maxim or proverb. [Rare or colloq.] “He had no sooner said out his say.” L’Estrange.

That strange palmer’s boding say That fell so ominous and drear Full on the object of his fear. W. Scott.

v. t. To try; to assay. [Obs.]

n. [Fr. saye, saie, Pr. saya, saia, saga, Sp. saya, Pg. saya, saia, It. saja, M. H. Ger. sei, O. Fr. sai, fr. Lat. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen blanket or mantle. See SAGUM and SACK.] [Obs.] 1. A species of silk or satin. Their minds are made of say; Their love is like silk changeable. Old Song. 2. A delicate kind of serge or woolen cloth. Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord. Shak.