talk
nounEtymology From Middle English talk, talke (“conversation; discourse”), from the verb (see above).
8 senses
- 1A conversation or discussion; usually serious, but informal.
- 2A lecture.
- 3Gossip; rumour.
- 4A major topic of social discussion.
- 5A customary conversation in which parent(s) explain…
- 6A customary conversation in which the parent(s) of a…
- 7Empty boasting, promises or claims.
- 8Meeting to discuss a particular matter.
1
A conversation or discussion; usually serious, but informal.
- We need to have a talk about your homework.
- All this was extraordinarily distasteful to Churchill.[…]Never before had he felt such repulsion when the vicar displayed his characteristic bluntness or coarseness of speech. In the present connection—or rather as a transition from the subject that started their conversation—such talk had been distressingly out of place.1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter XXIV, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC, pages 198–199:
2
A lecture.
- There is a talk on Shakespeare tonight.
3
Gossip; rumour.
- There's been talk lately about the two of them.
4
A major topic of social discussion.
Preceded by the; often qualified by a following of; preceded by the; often qualified by a following of
- She is the talk of the day.
- The musical is the talk of the town.
› A customary conversation by parent(s) or…
5
A customary conversation in which parent(s) explain sexual intercourse to their child.
Preceded by the
- Have you had the talk with Jay yet? I found a condom in his room.
6
US A customary conversation in which the parent(s) of a black child explain the racism and violence they may face, especially when interacting with police, and strategies to manage it.
Preceded by the
- Later, I made sure to have the talk with my son about being a black boy, […]2012, Crystal McCrary, Inspiration: Profiles of Black Women Changing Our World, →ISBN:
- All the black parents I have ever spoken to have had “the talk” with their sons and daughters. “The talk” is a conversation about how to behave and not to behave with police.2016, Jim Wallis, America's Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and the Bridge, →ISBN:
1 more example
- Now, I was a black man in the South, and my folks had had “the talk” with me. No, not the one about the birds and bees. This one is about the black man and the police.2016, Stuart Scott, Larry Platt, Every Day I Fight, →ISBN, page 36:
7
Not preceded by an article Empty boasting, promises or claims.
- The party leader's speech was all talk.
8
Plural normally Meeting to discuss a particular matter.
- The leaders of the G8 nations are currently in talks over nuclear weapons.
- Derived terms
113 terms
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