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The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 (gcide)

Bespeak \Be*speak"\, v. t. [imp. {Bespoke}, {Bespake} (Archaic);
p. p. {Bespoke}, {Bespoken}; p. pr. & vb. n. {Bespeaking}.]
[OE. bispeken, AS. besprecan, to speak to, accuse; pref. be-
sprecan to speak. See {Speak}.]
1. To speak or arrange for beforehand; to order or engage
against a future time; as, to bespeak goods, a right, or a
favor.
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Concluding, naturally, that to gratify his avarice
was to bespeak his favor. --Sir W.
Scott.
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2. To show beforehand; to foretell; to indicate.
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[They] bespoke dangers . . . in order to scare the
allies. --Swift.
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3. To betoken; to show; to indicate by external marks or
appearances.
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When the abbot of St. Martin was born, he had so
little the figure of a man that it bespoke him
rather a monster. --Locke.
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4. To speak to; to address. [Poetic]
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He thus the queen bespoke. --Dryden.
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Bespeak \Be*speak"\, v. i.
To speak. [Obs.] --Milton.
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Bespeak \Be*speak"\, n.
A bespeaking. Among actors, a benefit (when a particular play
is bespoken.) "The night of her bespeak." --Dickens.
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