Word: address Part of Speech: verb Etymology: Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *h₂éd Proto-Italic *ad Proto-Italic *ad- Latin ad- Old French a- Proto-Italic *dwizrektos Proto-Indo-European *h₃reǵ- Proto-Indo-European *-eti Proto-Indo-European *h₃réǵeti Proto-Italic *dwizregō Latin dīrigō Latin dīrēctus Proto-Indo-European *-yetider. Latin -iāre Vulgar Latin *dīrēctiāre Old French drecier Old French adrecierbor. Middle English adressen English address From Middle English adressen (“to radise erect, adorn”), from Old French adrecier (“to straighten, address”) (modern French adresser), from Proto-Romance *addīrēctiāre, from ad- (“to; towards”) + *dīrēctiāre (“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”). Pronunciation: /əˈdɹɛs/, /ˈædɹɛs/ 1. To prepare oneself. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: Let us address to tend on Hector's heels. 2. To direct speech. Labels: intransitive, obsolete Example: Young Turnus to the Beaubteous Maid addreſs’d. 3. To aim; to direct. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: And this good knight his way with me addrest. 4. To prepare or make ready. Labels: obsolete, transitive Example: His foe was soone addrest. Example: Then Turnus, from his chariot, leaping light, Addreſs’d himſelf on foot to ſingle fight. 5. To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake. Labels: reflexive, transitive Example: These men addressed themselves to the task. Example: […] good heavens! dumplings for supper! One young fellow in a green box coat, addressed himself to these dumplings in a most direful manner. 6. To direct one’s remarks (to someone). Labels: reflexive Example: 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. Example: 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. 7. To clothe or array; to dress. Labels: archaic, transitive Example: 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. 8. To direct, as words (to anyone or anything); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any audience). Labels: transitive Example: though the young Heroe had addreſs’d his Prayers to him for his aſſiſtance Example: He addressed some portions of his remarks to his supporters, some to his opponents. 9. 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. Labels: transitive Example: Are not your orders to address the senate? Example: The representatives of the nation in parliament, and the privy council, address the king 10. To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit. Labels: transitive Example: He addressed a letter. 11. To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo. Labels: transitive 12. To consign or entrust to the care of another, as agent or factor. Labels: transitive Example: The ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore. 13. To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech, discourse or efforts to. Labels: transitive Example: 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. Example: 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.) 14. To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it. Labels: formal, transitive Example: "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." Example: 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. 15. To refer to a location in computer memory. Labels: transitive 16. To get ready to hit (the ball on the tee). Labels: Scotland, transitive