Perorate

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To deliver an extended, formal speech that emphasizes a specific argument or theme is to present an elaborate discourse meant to captivate the audience's attention while making a point
2. To engage in a lengthy and formal speech that stresses a particular theme is to express one's thoughts in an elaborate manner aimed at persuading or informing an audience
3. To speak at length in a formal way, often concluding a speech with emphasis on the main point

Etymology: The verb "perorate" entered English in 1603, borrowed from the Latin "perōrātus", the past participle of "perōrō". The Latin verb was built from "per", meaning "through" or "thoroughly", and "ōrō", meaning "to speak" or "to plead", so the underlying sense is roughly "to speak through to the end." Its English sense of holding forth at length and then driving home a closing point grows naturally from that picture of a speaker carrying an argument all the way through. The Latin word was itself a technical term for the final part of a speech, the peroration, in which an orator gathered up his arguments and appealed to the audience's emotions before sitting down. English kept that focus on the ending, so the verb still carries the sense of a speaker building toward a conclusion rather than simply talking for a long time.

Synonyms: summarize, conclude, finish