1. [n]  extended verbal expression in speech or writing
2. [n]  an extended communication (often interactive) dealing with some particular topic; "the book contains an excellent discussion of modal logic"; "his treatment of the race question is badly biased"
3. [n]  an address of a religious nature (usually delivered during a church service)
4. [v]  talk or hold forth formally about a topic; "The speaker dissertated about the social politics in 18th century England"
5. [v]  carry on a conversation
6. [v]  to consider or examine in speech or writing; "The article covered all the different aspects of this question"; "The class discussed Dante's 'Inferno'"

Discourse
Discourse

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1. \Dis*course"\, n. [L. discursus a running to and fro,
   discourse, fr. discurrere, discursum, to run to and fro, to
   discourse; dis- + currere to run: cf. F. discours. See
   {Course}.]
   1. The power of the mind to reason or infer by running, as it
      were, from one fact or reason to another, and deriving a
      conclusion; an exercise or act of this power; reasoning;
      range of reasoning faculty. [Obs.]
            Difficult, strange, and harsh to the discourses of
            natural reason.                       --South.
            Sure he that made us with such large discourse,
            Looking before and after, gave us not That
            capability and godlike reason To fust in us unused.
                                                  --Shak.
   2. Conversation; talk.
            In their discourses after supper.     --Shak.
            Filling the head with variety of thoughts, and the
            mouth with copious discourse.         --Locke.
   3. The art and manner of speaking and conversing.
            Of excellent breeding, admirable discourse. --Shak.
   4. Consecutive speech, either written or unwritten, on a
      given line of thought; speech; treatise; dissertation;
      sermon, etc.; as, the preacher gave us a long discourse on
      duty.
   5. Dealing; transaction. [Obs.]
            Good Captain Bessus, tell us the discourse Betwixt
            Tigranes and our king, and how We got the victory.
                                                  --Beau. & Fl.
   

2. \Dis*course"\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. {Discoursed}; p.
   pr. & vb. n. {Discoursing}.]
   1. To exercise reason; to employ the mind in judging and
      inferring; to reason. [Obs.] ``Have sense or can
      discourse.'' --Dryden.
   2. To express one's self in oral discourse; to expose one's
      views; to talk in a continuous or formal manner; to hold
      forth; to speak; to converse.
            Bid me discourse, I will enchant thine ear. --Shak.
   3. To relate something; to tell. --Shak.
   4. To treat of something in writing and formally.
   

3. \Dis*course"\, v. t.
   1. To treat of; to expose or set forth in language. [Obs.]
            The life of William Tyndale . . . is sufficiently
            and at large discoursed in the book.  --Foxe.
   2. To utter or give forth; to speak.
            It will discourse most eloquent music. --Shak.
   3. To talk to; to confer with. [Obs.]
            I have spoken to my brother, who is the patron, to
            discourse the minister about it.      --Evelyn.