n. [ L. discursus a running to and fro, discourse, fr. discurrere, discursum, to run to and fro, to discourse; dis- + currere to run: cf. F. discours. See Course. ] 1. The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning; range of reasoning faculty. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Difficult, strange, and harsh to the discourses of natural reason. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
Looking before and after, gave us not
That capability and godlike reason
To fust in us unused. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Conversation; talk. [ 1913 Webster ]

In their discourses after supper. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the mouth with copious discourse. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The art and manner of speaking and conversing. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation; sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Dealing; transaction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse
Betwixt Tigranes and our king, and how
We got the victory. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Discoursed p. pr. & vb. n. Discoursing. ] 1. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and inferring; to reason. [ Obs. ] “Have sense or can discourse.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To express one's self in oral discourse; to expose one's views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold forth; to speak; to converse. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To relate something; to tell. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To treat of something in writing and formally. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To treat of; to expose or set forth in language. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently and at large discoursed in the book. Foxe. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To utter or give forth; to speak. [ 1913 Webster ]

It will discourse most eloquent music. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To talk to; to confer with. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to discourse the minister about it. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who discourse; a narrator; a speaker; an haranguer. [ 1913 Webster ]

In his conversation he was the most clear discourser. Milward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The writer of a treatise or dissertation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Philologers and critical discoursers. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Discursive. ] 1. Reasoning; characterized by reasoning; passing from premises to consequences; discursive. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Containing dialogue or conversation; interlocutory. [ 1913 Webster ]

The epic is everywhere interlaced with dialogue or discoursive scenes. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Inclined to converse; conversable; communicative; as, a discoursive man. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being discoursive or able to reason. [ R. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. everything which may be considered, explicitly or implicitly, in a particular theory or discussion. [ PJC ]