conversation

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

Social talk

Nouns

1. conversation, interlocution, intercourse; collocution, colloquy, converse, discussion, talkfest; confabulation; talk, discourse, social intercourse; oral communication, communion, commerce; dialogue, duologue; feast of reason. Informal, confab. Slang, bull session or fest, he-said-she-said, gabfest, rap session, facemail.

2. (inconsequential talk) chat, chitchat, causerie, tête-à-tête; small talk, table talk, idle talk; comment, gossip, pillow talk (see information); tittle-tattle, prattle (see loquacity); on dit; talk of the town; glittering generalities. Slang, schmooze.

3. (formal discussion group) conference, consortium, parley, palaver, consultation; interview, audience, press conference, audition, pourparler; conversazione; congress, council; debate, logomachy, war of words; panel discussion, symposium, colloquium, forum; teleconference, conference call. Informal, powwow, huddle, sit-down.

4. (one who converses) interlocutor, conversationalist, colloquist, dialogist, talker, spokesman, interpreter; Paul Pry; chatterer (see loquacity).

Verbs

1. (talk in a conversation) converse, talk together, discuss; confabulate; hold a conversation, carry on or engage in a conversation, make conversation; put in a word; shine in conversation; bandy words, parley, palaver, chat, gossip; fence or spar with; compare notes. Informal, go into a huddle, rap, talk nineteen to the dozen. Slang, visit, coze, chew the fat or the rag; shoot, fan, or bat the breeze, let one's hair down. See sociality.

2. (converse with) discourse, confer, consult, advise, confer, or commune with; hold converse, hold a conference; interview; talk it over, hash out, go into; be closeted with, talk in private. Informal, touch base with.

Adjectives — conversing, talking; interlocutory; conversational, conversationable, discursive, chatty, sociable; colloquial.

Adverbs — conversationally, colloquially.

Quotations — Teas, where small talk dies in agonies (Percy Bysshe Shelley), I cannot hold with those who wish to put down the insignificant chatter of the world (Anthony Trollope), "The time has come, " the Walrus said, "To talk of many things... " (Lewis Carroll), Most English talk is a quadrille in a sentry-box (Henry James).

II

(Roget's IV) n.

Syn. talk, chat, discourse, discussion, communion, communication, intercourse, consultation, hearing, conference, interview, gossip, converse, colloquy, parley, dialogue, causerie, expression of views, exchange of views, mutual exchange, t?te-?-t?te, questions and answers, traffic in ideas, engaging in persiflage, repartee, give-and-take, questioning, oral examination, exchange of confidences, unburdening oneself, talking it out, heart-to-heart talk, small talk, chitchat, palaver, interchange, interlocution, confabulation, confab*, powwow*, bull session*, talkfest*, gabfest*, chinfest*, pillow talk*, rap session*, rap*, tattle*; see also communication 1 , discussion 1 .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

talk, dialogue, discourse, discussion, exchange, communication, chat, colloquy, interlocution, conference, intercourse, gab, *rap, palaver, tete-a-tete, give-and-take, *small talk. ''The image of the mind. As the man is, so is his talk.''—Pubilius Syrus. ''Our account of ourselves.''— Ralph Waldo Emerson.

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun Spoken exchange: chat, colloquy, confabulation, converse1, dialogue, discourse, speech, talk. Informal: confab. Slang: jaw. See WORDS.