Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner's English Dictionary - talk

(talks, talking, talked) Frequency: The word is one of the 700 most common words in English. 1. When you talk, you use spoken language to express your thoughts, ideas, or feelings. He was too distressed to talk... The boys all began to talk at once... VERB: V, V • Talk is also a noun. That’s not the kind of talk one usually hears from accountants. N-UNCOUNT 2. If you talk to someone, you have a conversation with them. You can also say that two people talk. We talked and laughed a great deal... I talked to him yesterday... When she came back, they were talking about American food... Can’t you see I’m talking? Don’t interrupt. V-RECIP: pl-n V, V to/with n, pl-n V about n, V (non-recip), also V to n about n • Talk is also a noun. We had a long talk about her father, Tony, who was a friend of mine. = conversation N-COUNT 3. If you talk to someone, you tell them about the things that are worrying you. You can also say that two people talk. Your first step should be to talk to a teacher or school counselor... We need to talk alone... Do ring if you want to talk about it... I have to sort some things out. We really needed to talk. V-RECIP: V to n, pl-n V, V about n (non-recip), V (non-recip) • Talk is also a noun. I think it’s time we had a talk. N-COUNT 4. If you talk on or about something, you make an informal speech telling people what you know or think about it. She will talk on the issues she cares passionately about including education and nursery care... He intends to talk to young people about the dangers of AIDS. = speak VERB: V on/about n, V to n • Talk is also a noun. A guide gives a brief talk on the history of the site... N-COUNT: oft N on/about n 5. Talks are formal discussions intended to produce an agreement, usually between different countries or between employers and employees. Talks between striking railway workers and the Polish government have broken down... N-PLURAL: oft N with/between n, N on/about n 6. If one group of people talks to another, or if two groups talk, they have formal discussions in order to do a deal or produce an agreement. We’re talking to some people about opening an office in London... The company talked with many potential investors... It triggered broad speculation that GM and Jaguar might be talking. V-RECIP: V to n about n/-ing, V with/to n, pl-n V 7. When different countries or different sides in a dispute talk, or talk to each other, they discuss their differences in order to try and settle the dispute. The Foreign Minister said he was ready to talk to any country that had no hostile intentions... They are collecting information in preparation for the day when the two sides sit down and talk... John Reid has to find a way to make both sides talk to each other... The speed with which the two sides came to the negotiating table shows that they are ready to talk. V-RECIP: V to n, pl-n V, V to/with pron-recip, V (non-recip) 8. If people are talking about another person or are talking, they are discussing that person. Everyone is talking about him... People will talk, but you have to get on with your life. VERB: V about/of n, V • Talk is also a noun. There has been a lot of talk about me getting married... N-UNCOUNT: usu N about/of n/-ing, N that 9. If someone talks when they are being held by police or soldiers, they reveal important or secret information, usually unwillingly. They’ll talk, they’ll implicate me. VERB: V 10. If you talk a particular language or talk with a particular accent, you use that language or have that accent when you speak. You don’t sound like a foreigner talking English... They were amazed that I was talking in an Irish accent. VERB: no passive, V n, V prep/adv 11. If you talk something such as politics or sport, you discuss it. The guests were mostly middle-aged men talking business. VERB: no passive, V n 12. You can use talk to say what you think of the ideas that someone is expressing. For example, if you say that someone is talking sense, you mean that you think the opinions they are expressing are sensible. You must admit George, you’re talking absolute rubbish. VERB: V n 13. You can say that you are talking a particular thing to draw attention to your topic or to point out a characteristic of what you are discussing. (SPOKEN) We’re talking megabucks this time. VERB: no passive, V n 14. If you say that something such as an idea or threat is just talk, or all talk, you mean that it does not mean or matter much, because people are exaggerating about it or do not really intend to do anything about it. Has much of this actually been tried here? Or is it just talk?... N-UNCOUNT 15. You can say talk about before mentioning a particular expression or situation, when you mean that something is a very striking or clear example of that expression or situation. (INFORMAL) Took us quite a while to get here, didn’t it? Talk about Fate moving in a mysterious way!... PHRASE: PHR n/-ing c darkgreen]emphasis 16. You can use the expression talking of to introduce a new topic that you want to discuss, and to link it to something that has already been mentioned. Belvoir Farms produce a delicious elderflower tea. Talking of elderflower, you might wish to try Elderflower Champagne. PHRASE: PHR n/-ing 17. to talk shop: see shop