address
Language: English
Part of speech: verb
Pronunciation: ipa: /əˈdɹɛs/
ipa: /ˈædɹɛs/
enpr: ə-drĕsʹ
enpr: ăd-rĕsʹ
ipa: /əˈdɹɛs/
ipa: /ˈædɹɛs/
enpr: ə-drĕsʹ
enpr: ăd-rĕsʹ
ipa: /ˈædɹɛs/
enpr: ădʹrĕs
rhymes: -ɛs
Forms: form: addresses
form: addressing
form: addressed
form: addressed
form: addrest
form: addrest
Etymology: From Middle English adressen (“to raise erect, adorn”), from Old French adrecier (“to straighten, address”) (modern French adresser), from Proto-Romance *addīrectiāre, from ad- (“to; towards”) + *dīrectiāre (“to guide; to direct”), from Latin dīrēctus (“straight; right”), from dīrigō (“to lay straight; to direct”), itself from regō (“to govern, to rule”). Cognate with Spanish aderezar (“to garnish; dress (food); to add spices”).
Senses: examples: text: Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.
ref: c. 1602, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Troylus and Cressida”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene ii]:
glosses: To prepare oneself.
examples: text: Young Turnus to the Beaubteous Maid addreſs’d.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Virgil’s Æneis, Book VII”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 402:
glosses: To direct speech.
examples: text: And this good knight his way with me addrest.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto X”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:
glosses: To aim; to direct.
examples: text: His foe was soone addrest.
ref: 1596, Edmund Spenser, “Book IV, Canto III”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 14:
text: Then Turnus, from his chariot, leaping light, Addreſs’d himſelf on foot to ſingle fight.
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Virgil’s Æneis, Book X”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page 517:
text: The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming.
ref: 1649, Jeremy Taylor, The Great Exemplar of Sanctity and Holy Life According to the Christian Institution:
glosses: To prepare or make ready.
examples: text: These men addressed themselves to the task.
ref: 1849–1861, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VI, in The History of England from the Accession of James the Second, volume (please specify |volume=I to V), London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC:
text: […] good heavens! dumplings for supper! One young fellow in a green box coat, addressed himself to these dumplings in a most direful manner.
ref: 1851 November 14, Herman Melville, “chapter 3”, in Moby-Dick; or, The Whale, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers; London: Richard Bentley, →OCLC:
glosses: To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.
examples: text: 1701, Thomas Brown, Laconics, or New Maxims of State and Conversation, London: Thomas Hodgson, section 76, p. 103,
In the Reign of King Charles the Second, a certain Worthy Divine at Whitehall, thus Address’d himself to the Auditory at the conclusion of his Sermon.
text: There were ſeveral of his Prieſts and Lawyers preſent, (as I conjectured by their habits) who were commanded to addreſs themſelves to me, and I ſpoke to them in as many Languages as I had the leaſt ſmattering of, which were High and Low Dutch, Latin, French, Spaniſh, Italian, and Lingua Franca; but all to no purpoſe.
ref: 1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], “The Emperor of Lilliput, Attended by Several of the Nobility, Come to See the Author in His Confinement. […]”, in Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], volume I, London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, part I (A Voyage to Lilliput), page 30:
text: He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation […]
ref: 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 11, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
text: When any member is about to speak in debate, he shall rise and respectfully address himself to “Mr. Chairman.”
ref: 1876, Henry Martyn Robert, Robert’s Rules of Order, Chicago: S.C. Griggs & Co., p. 66, Article V, Section 34:
glosses: To direct one’s remarks (to someone).
examples: text: Likewise Vincentius, and Petrus de Natalibus, and others your writers and recorders of fables could have told you that Tecla sometime addressed herself in man's apparel, and, had she not been forbidden by St Paul, would have followed him in company as a man.
ref: 1566–67, John Jewel, “The Defence of the Apology”, in The Works of John Jewel, Bishop of Salisbury, volume 4, Cambridge: University of Cambridge, published 1845, page 651:
synonyms: word: beclothe
word: dight
word: put on
word: accouter
word: address
word: apparel
word: array
word: attire
word: beclothe
word: clothe
word: dight
word: don
word: dress
word: enrobe
word: equip
word: invest
word: put on
word: robe
word: slip on
word: vest
glosses: To clothe or array; to dress.
examples: text: though the young Heroe had addreſs’d his Prayers to him for his aſſiſtance
ref: 1697, Virgil, “Dedication [of the Æneis]”, in John Dryden, transl., The Works of Virgil: Containing His Pastorals, Georgics, and Æneis. […], London: […] Jacob Tonson, […], →OCLC, page [187]:
text: He addressed some portions of his remarks to his supporters, some to his opponents.
glosses: To direct, as words (to anyone or anything); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any audience).
examples: text: Are not your orders to address the senate?
ref: 1712 (date written), [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713, →OCLC, Act I, scene ii, page 2:
text: The representatives of the nation in parliament, and the privy council, address the king
ref: 1724, Jonathan Swift, “Drapier's Letters”, in 3:
text: Rimmer paused for no discernible reason, then yelled, equally inexplicably: 'Shut up!', wheeled round 180º, and appeared to be addressing a dartboard.
ref: 1989, Grant Naylor, Red Dwarf: Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers:
text: Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. […] Children address teachers by their first names. Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
ref: 2013 July 19, Peter Wilby, “Finland spreads word on schools”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 6, page 30:
glosses: To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to.
examples: text: He addressed a letter.
glosses: To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit.
synonyms: word: romance
word: put the moves on
word: address
word: beau
word: bedear
word: chase after
word: court
word: endear
word: make a move (on)
word: make love
word: pitch woo
word: put the moves on
word: romance
word: solicit
word: spark
word: woo
glosses: To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.
examples: text: The ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore.
glosses: To consign or entrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.
examples: text: He stepped away from the sink, put up the toilet ring (Vi complained bitterly if he forgot to put it down when he was through, but never seemed to feel any pressing need to put it back up when she was), and addressed the John.
ref: 1990, Stephen King, The Moving Finger:
text: Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] . (Common gem materials not addressed in this article include amber, amethyst, chalcedony, garnet, lazurite, malachite, opals, peridot, rhodonite, spinel, tourmaline, turquoise and zircon.)
ref: 2012 March 24, Lee A. Groat, “Gemstones”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, page 128:
glosses: To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech, discourse or efforts to.
examples: text: "By all means we want people to use social media, but we do not want you to use it in ways that will incite violence," said Jonathan Toy, Southwark council's head of community safety. "This remains a big issue for us and without some form of censorship purely focusing on [violent videos], I'm not sure how we can address it."
ref: 2012 April 19, Josh Halliday, “Free speech haven or lawless cesspool – can the internet be civilised?”, in The Guardian:
text: Formerly [sic: Formally] known as the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the not-for-profit organisation's remit includes managing and developing Railway Group Standards on behalf of the rail industry, leading the development of long-term safety strategy, and supporting cross-industry groups that address major areas of safety risk.
ref: 2020 December 2, Mark Phillips, “Rebuilding Rail in the 2020s”, in Rail, page 46:
synonyms: speak to
glosses: To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it.
topics: computing
engineering
mathematics
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
sciences
glosses: To refer to a location in computer memory.
topics: golf
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: To get ready to hit (the ball on the tee).
Derived terms: addressability
addressable
addressee
addresser
addressible
addressment
address the ball
misaddress
overaddress
preaddress
readdress
unaddress