speaker

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   A device that produces sound from a phone, computer, or stereo.

   She lost some hearing after standing too close to the speakers at the concert.

2. 2
   noun

   A person who gives a speech or talk to an audience.

   The main speaker at the conference was a famous scientist.

3. 3
   noun

   A person who speaks, especially in a particular language.

   The course is designed for speakers of English as a second language.

From Middle English speker, spekere, an alteration (with change of suffix) of Old English speca, spreca (“speaker”), from Proto-Germanic *sprekô (“speaker”), equivalent to speak + -er. Compare Saterland Frisian Spreeker (“speaker”), West Frisian sprekker (“speaker”), Dutch spreker (“speaker”), German Low German Spreker (“speaker”), German Sprecher (“speaker”).

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