A discourse or sermon; a narrative or tale; also (Old English), a subject of discourse. Obsolete.

The action of preaching; an instance of this; a sermon, an oration. Now rare.

Something designed to be read or listened to; a written composition; a disquisition. Hence: a public reading, a lecture; (also) a course of lectures…

A discourse, sermon, or homily; a treatise, exposition. Obsolete.

Talk, conversation; a discourse, sermon.

A more or less formal treatment of a subject, in speech or writing, in which it is considered or discussed at length; a treatise, dissertation…

A discourse given before an audience upon a given subject, usually for the purpose of instruction. (The regular name for discourses or instruction…

Chiefly literary. A disquisition, dissertation, or discourse (on a theme).

A speech, a discourse, an address; a rhetorical passage or speech. Also (occasionally) as a mass noun: speech, discourse.

transferred. A serious admonition, exhortation or counsel; a lecture; a tedious moralizing discourse.

transferred and figurative. A discourse (spoken or written) on a serious subject, containing instruction or exhortation. Also contemptuously, a…

An exercise or display of skill, esp. literary or oratorical; a written or spoken disquisition, essay, discourse.

figurative. A running through a subject in discourse.

An exhortatory discourse. Obsolete.

A long or tedious speech, piece of writing, list, etc. Now chiefly: a speech or piece of writing characterized by vehement or protracted criticism…

A discourse, esp. its concluding passages; a peroration.

A speech, esp. a monologue delivered by a character in a classical Greek drama.

An informal lecture or address; spec. = radio talk n. at radio, n. compounds 3.

A short lecture.

a lecture or speech illustrated by chalk sketches made by the speaker.

Moralizing or lecturing speech, esp. as addressed to a child by an adult; an instance of this.