Part 76

Thy tongue some say of breeding breathes.

Shak.

2. Tried quality; temper; proof. [Obs.]

He found a sword of better say.

Spenser.

3. Essay; trial; attempt. [Obs.]

To give a say at, to attempt. B. Jonson.

Say, v. t. To try; to assay. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

Say, n. [OE. saie, F. saie, fr. L. saga, equiv. to sagum, sagus, a coarse woolen mantle; cf. Gr. sa`gos. See Sagum.] 1. A kind of silk or satin. [Obs.]

Thou say, thou serge, nay, thou buckram lord!

Shak.

2. A delicate kind of serge, or woolen cloth. [Obs.]

His garment neither was of silk nor say.

Spenser.

Say, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Said (sd), contracted from sayed; p. pr. & vb. n. Saying.] [OE. seggen, seyen, siggen, sayen, sayn, AS. secgan; akin to OS. seggian, D. zeggen, LG. seggen, OHG. sagn, G. sagen, Icel. segja, Sw. säga, Dan. sige, Lith. sakyti; cf. OL. insece tell, relate, Gr. 'e`nnepe (for 'en-sepe), 'e`spete. Cf. Saga, Saw a saying.] 1. To utter or express in words; to tell; to speak; to declare; as, he said many wise things.

Arise, and say how thou camest here.

Shak.

2. To repeat; to rehearse; to recite; to pronounce; as, to say a lesson.

Of my instruction hast thou nothing bated In what thou hadst to say?

Shak.

After which shall be said or sung the following hymn.

Bk. of Com. Prayer.

3. To announce as a decision or opinion; to state positively; to assert; hence, to form an opinion upon; to be sure about; to be determined in mind as to.

But what it is, hard is to say.

Milton.

4. To mention or suggest as an estimate, hypothesis, or approximation; hence, to suppose; -- in the imperative, followed sometimes by the subjunctive; as, he had, say fifty thousand dollars; the fox had run, say ten miles.

Say, for nonpayment that the debt should double, Is twenty hundred kisses such a trouble?

Shak.