address
/əˈdɹɛs/ noun, verb
Forms addresses addressing addressed addrest
- noun (obsolete) Guidance; help.
- noun (chiefly in the plural, now archaic) A polite approach made to another person, especially of a romantic nature; an amorous advance.
- noun A manner of speaking or writing to another; language, style. “a man of pleasing or insinuating address”
- noun (diplomacy, politics) A formal approach to a sovereign or head of state, especially an official appeal or petition.
- noun (Commonwealth, politics) A response given by each of the Houses of Parliament to the sovereign's speech at the opening of Parliament.
- noun An act of addressing oneself to a person or group; a discourse or speech, or a record of this.
- noun A description of the location of a property, usually with at least a street name and number, name of a town, and now also a postal code; such a description as superscribed for direction on an envelope or letter. “The President's address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.”
- noun The location of a property. “I went to his address but there was nobody there.”
- verb (intransitive, obsolete) To prepare oneself.
- verb (intransitive, obsolete) To direct speech.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To aim; to direct.
- verb (transitive, obsolete) To prepare or make ready.
- verb (transitive, reflexive) To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.
- verb (reflexive) To direct one’s remarks (to someone).
- verb (transitive, archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.
- verb (transitive) To direct, as words (to anyone or anything); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any audience). “He addressed some portions of his remarks to his supporters, some to his opponents.”
Synonyms
network address beclothe dight put on accouter apparel array attire clothe don garment dress enrobe equip invest robe slip on vest romance put the moves on computer address reference speech destination name and address savoir-faire turn to speak direct call
Etymology
From Middle English adressen (“to raise 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”).
Webster’s 1913
- verb To aim; to direct. [Obs.] Chaucer.
- verb To prepare or make ready. [Obs.]
- verb To prepare one's self. [Obs.] "Let us address to tend on Hector's heels." Shak.
- verb To direct speech. [Obs.]
Etymology [OE. adressen to raise erect, adorn, OF. adrecier, to straighten, address, F. adresser, fr. à (L. ad) + OF. drecier, F. dresser, to straighten, arrange. See Dress, v.]
Etymology [Cf. F. adresse. See Address, v. t.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “address”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details