An attention-getting particle, similar to "Hey", as in "Say, what do you think of a movie tonight?" or "Say, what kind of a scam are you running here?" Descended from the pompous British "I say!"

Saturday-night special = S = scag

say vt.

1. To type to a terminal. "To list a directory verbosely, you have to say ls -l." Tends to imply a newline-terminated command (a `sentence'). 2. A computer may also be said to `say' things to you, even if it doesn't have a speech synthesizer, by displaying them on a terminal in response to your commands. Hackers find it odd that this usage confuses mundanes.

--The Jargon File version 4.3.1, ed. ESR, autonoded by rescdsk.

Say (?), obs. imp. of See.

Saw.

Chaucer.

© Webster 1913.


Say (?), n. [Aphetic form of assay.]

1.

Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack.

[Obs.]

if those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and saus, as if were, of that final benefit. Hooker.

Thy tongue some say of breeding breathes. Shak.

2.

Tried quality; temper; proof.

[Obs.]

he found a sword of better say. Spenser.

3.

Essay; trial; attempt.

[Obs.]

To give a say at, to attempt.

B. Jonson.

© Webster 1913.


Say, v. t.

To try; to assay.

[Obs.]

B. Jonson.

© Webster 1913.


Say, n. [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. . See Sagum.]

1.

A kind of silk or satin.

[Obs.]

Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord! Shak.

2.

A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth.

[Obs.]

His garment neither was of silk nor say. Spenser.

© Webster 1913.


Say, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Said (?), contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Saying.] [OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sagn, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. saga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece teil, relate, Gr. (for ), . Cf. Saga, Saw a saying.]

1.

To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare; as, he said many wise things.

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.

After which shall be said or sung the following hymn. Bk. of Com. Prayer.

3.

To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; 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.

4.

To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; -- in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive; as, he had, say fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say ten miles.

Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble? Shak.

It is said, ∨ They say, it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain. -- That is to say, that is; in other words; otherwise.

© Webster 1913.


Say, v. i.

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

You have said; but whether wisely or no, let the forest judge. Shak.

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

© Webster 1913.


Say, n. [From Say, v. t.; cf. Saw a saying.]

A speech; something said; an expression of opinion; a current story; a maxim or proverb.

[Archaic or Colloq.]

He no sooner said out his say, but up rises a cunning snap. L'Estrange.

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

© Webster 1913.

Log in or register to write something here or to contact authors.