verb
Address, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Addressed; p. pr. & vb. n. Addressing.]
Etymology: [OE. adressen to raise erect, adorn, OF. adrecier, to straighten, address, F. adresser, fr. à (L. ad) + OF. drecier, F. dresser, to straighten, arrange. See Dress, v.]
1. To aim; to direct. [Obs.] Chaucer. And this good knight his way with me addrest. Spenser.
2. To prepare or make ready. [Obs.] His foe was soon addressed. Spenser. Turnus addressed his men to single fight. Dryden. The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming. Jer. Taylor.
3. Reflexively: To prepare one's self; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake. These men addressed themselves to the task. Macaulay.
4. To clothe or array; to dress. [Archaic] Tecla . . . addressed herself in man's apparel. Jewel.
6 more senses
5. To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience). The young hero had addressed his players to him for his assistance. Dryden.
6. To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost. Are not your orders to address the senate Addison. The representatives of the nation addressed the king. Swift.
7. To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit; as, he addressed a letter.
8. To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.
9. (Com.)
To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor; as, the ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore. To address one's self to. (a) To prepare one's self for; to apply one's self to. (b) To direct one's speech or discourse to.
2 other Webster entries under this spelling
Address, v. i.
1. To prepare one's self. [Obs.] "Let us address to tend on Hector's heels." Shak.
2. To direct speech. [Obs.] Young Turnus to the beauteous maid addrest. Dryden.
Note: The intransitive uses come from the dropping out of the reflexive pronoun.
Address, n.
1. Act of preparing one's self. [Obs.] Jer Taylor.
2. Act of addressing one's self to a person; verbal application.
3. A formal communication, either written or spoken; a discourse; a speech; a formal application to any one; a petition; a formal statement on some subject or special occasion; as, an address of thanks, an address to the voters.
4. Direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed.
5. Manner of speaking to another; delivery; as, a man of pleasing or insinuating address.
6. Attention in the way one's addresses to a lady. Addison.
7. Skill; skillful management; dexterity; adroitness.
Syn. -- Speech; discourse; harangue; oration; petition; lecture; readiness; ingenuity; tact; adroitness.
Shades of meaning
To accost is to speak first, to friend or stranger, generally with a view to opening conversation; greet is not so distinctly limited, since one may return another's greeting; greet and hail may imply but a passing word; greeting may be altogether silent; to hail is to greet in a loud-voiced and commonly hearty and joyous way, as appears in the expression "hail fellow, well met." To salute is to greet with special token of respect, as a soldier his commander. To apostrophize is to solemnly address some person or personified attribute apart from the audience to whom one is speaking; as, a preacher may apostrophize virtue, the saints of old, or even the Deity. To appeal is strictly to call for some form of help or support. Address is slightly more formal than accost or greet, though it may often be interchanged with them. One may address another at considerable length or in writing; he accosts orally and briefly.
Prepositions
Address the memorial to the legislature; the president addressed the people in an eloquent speech; he addressed an intruder with indignation.