English

Etymology

Old English adressen , to raise erect, adorn, Old French adrecier , to straighten, address, French adresser , from à (Latin ad) + Old French drecier , French dresser, to straighten, arrange. See Dress.

Noun

adress (plural: addresses)

1. Direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed.
2. Act of addressing one's self to a person; verbal application.
3. A formal communication, either written or spoken; a discourse; a speech; a formal application to any one; a petition; a formal statement on some subject or special occasion; as, an address of thanks, an address to the voters.
4. Manner of speaking to another; delivery; as, a man of pleasing or insinuating address.
5. Attention in the way one's addresses to a lady. Addison.
6. Skill; skillful management; dexterity; adroitness.
7. (Obsolete) Act of preparing one's self. Jer Taylor .

Translations

• Basque: helbide
• Chinese: 地址
• Dutch: adres n (1)
• Esperanto: adreso (1)
• French: adresse f (1)
• German: Adresse f (1,2,3,4,5)
• Romanica: adresse f (1)
• Spanish: dirección f (1)

Synonyms

• Speech
• Discourse
• Harangue
• Oration
• Petition
• Lecture
• Readiness
• Ingenuity
• Tact
• Adroitness

Intransitive Verb

1. (Obsolete) To prepare one's self. "Let us address to tend on Hector's heels." Shakespeare.
2. (Obsolete) To direct speech.

   • Young Turnus to the beauteous maid addrest. - Dryden.

The intransitive uses come from the dropping out of the reflexive pronoun.

Transitive Verb

• imp. & p. p.: Addressed
• p. pr. & vb. n.: Addressing

1. (Obsolete) To aim; to direct. Chaucer.

   • And this good knight his way with me addrest. - Spenser.

2. (Obsolete) To prepare or make ready.

   • His foe was soon addressed. - Spenser.
   • Turnus addressed his men to single fight. - Dryden.
   • The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming. - Jeremy Taylor .

3. Reflexively: To prepare one's self; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.

   • These men addressed themselves to the task. - Macaulay.

4. (Archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.

   • Tecla ... addressed herself in man's apparel. - Jewel.

5. To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience).

   • The young hero had addressed his players to him for his assistance. - Dryden.

6. To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost.

   • Are not your orders to address the senate? - Addison.
   • The representatives of the nation addressed the king. - Swift.

7. To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit; as, he addressed a letter.
8. To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.
9. To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor; as, the ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore.
10. To address one's self to. (
    1. To prepare one's self for; to apply one's self to.
    2. To direct one's speech or discourse to.