bespeak

v. t. [ imp. Bespoke Bespake (Archaic); p. p. Bespoke, Bespoken p. pr. & vb. n. Bespeaking. ] [ OE. bispeken, AS. besprecan, to speak to, accuse; pref. be- + sprecan to speak. See Speak. ] 1. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a favor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice was to bespeak his favor. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ They ] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the allies. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or appearances. [ 1913 Webster ]

When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so little the figure of a man that it bespoke him rather a monster. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To speak to; to address. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He thus the queen bespoke. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To speak. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bespeaking. Among actors, a benefit (when a particular play is bespoken.) “The night of her bespeak.” Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]