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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