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speech
figure of speech
A form of expression in language, either spoken or written, that employs nonliteral meaning, unusual construction, or a particular combination of sounds to emphasize or heighten the rhetorical effect. Bob: "Does eating an apple a day really keep doctors away from you?" Doug: "Don't take it so literally, Bob, it's just a figure of speech."
freedom of speech
The right to express one's opinion without censorship or other forms of punishment imposed by the government. In the United States, freedom of speech is protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution. The editor does not want to print my controversial article, but I'm pushing for it to appear in the next issue—what about freedom of speech?
speech is silver, but silence is golden
An expression that values silence over speech. I would be careful around all those reporters if I were you. Remember: speech is silver, but silence is golden.
speech is silver, silence is gold
An expression that values silence over speech. I would be careful around all those reporters if I were you. Remember: speech is silver, silence is gold.
speech is silver, silence is golden
An expression that values silence over speech. I would be careful around all those reporters if I were you. Remember: speech is silver, silence is golden.
burst into something
to begin to produce a lot of something The children burst into tears when they saw their ruined toys. The car burst into flames. The whole situation was so ridiculous, I simply burst into laughter.
Related vocabulary: break into something burst into
1. Also, burst out in or into . Break out into sudden activity. For example, burst into flames means "break out in a fire," as in This dry woodpile may well burst into flames. A version of this term, which dates from the 16th century, was used figuratively by John Milton: "Fame is the spur ... But the fair guerdon [reward] when we hope to find, and think to burst out into sudden blaze" ( Lycidas, 1637).
2. Also, burst out. Give sudden utterance to. For example, burst into tears or laughter or song or speech or burst out crying or laughing or singing , etc. mean "begin suddenly to weep, laugh, sing," and so on, as in When she saw him, she burst into tears, or I burst out laughing when I saw their outfits, or When they brought in the cake, we all burst into song. These terms have been so used since the late 1300s.
burst into
v.1. To enter some place suddenly and forcefully: The police burst into the room and conducted a raid.
2. To start doing something suddenly: Sometimes we burst into song while we're hiking in the mountains.