say obs. imperfect of See. Saw. Chaucer.

Say (sā), noun [Aphetic form of assay.]

1. Trial by sample; assay; sample; specimen; smack. [Obs.]

If those principal works of God . . . be but certain tastes and says, as it 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.

Say, transitive verb To try; to assay. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Say, noun [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. σάγος. 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.

Say, transitive verb [imperfect or past participle Said (sĕd), contracted from sayed; present participle or verbal noun Saying.] [OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sagēn, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. säga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece tell, relate, Gr. ἔννεπε (for ἐν-σεπε), ἔσπετε. 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

or

They say

it is commonly reported; it is rumored; people assert or maintain.

That is to say

that is; in other words; otherwise.

Say, intransitive verb 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.

Say, noun [From Say, transitive verb; 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.