Bespeak

Word of the Day for Tuesday, February 21, 2012

bespeak \bih-SPEEK\, verb:

1. To show; indicate.
2. To ask for in advance.
3. To reserve beforehand; engage in advance; make arrangements for.
4. Literary. To speak to; address.
5. Obsolete. To foretell; forebode.

Let the crooked flower bespeak its purpose in straightness — to seek the light.
-- Allen Ginsberg, Journals Mid-Fifties

In the execution of this universal gesture, most people bring down their thumb to signify the hammer's dropping, but Sean actually pulls his trigger finger, which I find much more threatening, since it seems to bespeak a genuine familiarity with the real thing.
-- Jonathan Tropper, The Book of Joe

Bespeak is derived from the Old English word besprecan. It developed a wide range of meanings, such as request, discuss, or arrange.

Thanks to: http://www.dictionary.com/