Perorating

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Speaking at length in a formal, often grand or dignified way, usually toward the end of a speech
2. Giving a lengthy and emphatic speech, especially one intended to be impressive or conclusive
3. Delivering an extended or elaborate address, typically to close a discourse with rhetorical effect

Etymology: "Perorating" is the present participle of "perorate," a word first recorded in English in 1603. It was borrowed from Latin "perōrātus," the past participle of "perōrō," which meant to bring a speech to its conclusion. The Latin verb is built from "per," meaning "through" or "to the end," and "ōrō," meaning "to speak" or "to plead," the same root that gives English "orator" and "oration." The surprising part is the sense of the Latin base. "Orare" originally meant to speak formally in a public or legal setting, and the "per-" prefix signals completion: the speaker carries the speech all the way through. Over time the English word settled on that final stage, the closing summation, where a speaker gathers arguments and works toward the most emotionally forceful ending. So a word that might sound like it merely means "to speak at length" describes specifically the grand finale of a speech.

Synonyms: declaring, addressing, speaking, lecturing, orating