Etimology
From Middle English adressen (“to raise erect, adorn”), from Old French adrecier (“to straighten, address”) (modern French adresser), from a- (from Latin ad (“to”)) + drecier (modern French dresser (“to straighten, arrange”)), from Vulgar Latin *dīrectiō, from Latin dīrēctus (“straight or right”), from the verb dīrigō, itself from regō (“to govern, to rule”). Cognate with Spanish aderezar (“to garnish; dress (food); to add spices”).
noun
address (plural addresses)
Direction.
Preparation.
Examples
[H]e was thus agreeable, and I neither insensible of his Perfections, nor displeased at his Addresses to me […] .
a man of pleasing or insinuating address
Mr. Gregson, who had listened to this address with considerable impatience, could contain himself no longer.
I watched her without knowing, with a prevision that she was going to address me, though with no sort of idea as to the subject of her address.
Where we once sent love letters in a sealed envelope, or stuck photographs of our children in a family album, now such private material is despatched to servers and clouds operated by people we don't know and will never meet. Perhaps we assume that our name, address and search preferences will be viewed by some unseen pair of corporate eyes, probably not human, and don't mind that much.
The President's address is 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C.
I went to his address but there was nobody there.
The program will crash if there is no valid data stored at that address.
This is one bad effect of a good Character—it invites applications from the unfortunate and there needs no small degree of address to gain the reputation of Benevolence without incurring the expence.—
The warmth of Father Pedro's constitution had formerly drawn him into some scrapes from which it required all his address to disengage himself, and rendered him exceedingly cautious ever after.
At their turning-lathes, they employ their toes to guide the chisel; and, in these pedipulations, shew to Europeans a diverting degree of address.
But now again she makes address to speak.
verb
address (third-person singular simple present addresses, present participle addressing, simple past and past participle addressed or (obsolete) addrest)
(intransitive, obsolete) To prepare oneself.
(intransitive, obsolete) To direct speech.
(transitive, obsolete) To aim; to direct.
(transitive, obsolete) To prepare or make ready.
(transitive, reflexive) To prepare oneself; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake.
(reflexive) To direct one’s remarks (to someone).
(transitive, archaic) To clothe or array; to dress.
(Discuss(+) this sense) (transitive) To direct, as words (to anyone or anything); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any audience).
(transitive) 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.
(transitive) To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit.
(transitive) To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo.
(transitive) To consign or entrust to the care of another, as agent or factor.
(transitive) To address oneself to; to prepare oneself for; to apply oneself to; to direct one's speech, discourse or efforts to.
(transitive, formal) To direct attention towards a problem or obstacle, in an attempt to resolve it.
(transitive, computing) To refer to a location in computer memory.
(transitive, golf, Scotland) To get ready to hit (the ball on the tee).
Examples
Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.
Young Turnus to the Beaubteous Maid addreſs’d.
And this good knight his way with me addrest.
His foe was soone addrest.
Then Turnus, from his chariot, leaping light, Addreſs’d himſelf on foot to ſingle fight.
The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming.
These men addressed themselves to the task.
[…] good heavens! dumplings for supper! One young fellow in a green box coat, addressed himself to these dumplings in a most direful manner.
In the Reign of King Charles the Second, a certain Worthy Divine at Whitehall, thus Address’d himself to the Auditory at the conclusion of his Sermon.
There were ſeveral of his Prieſts and Lawyers preſent, who were commanded to addreſs themſelves to me, and I ſpoke to them in as many Languages as I had the leaſt ſmattering of, which were High and Low Dutch, Latin, French, Spaniſh, Italian, and Lingua Franca; but all to no purpoſe.
He addressed himself directly to Miss Bennet, with a polite congratulation […]
When any member is about to speak in debate, he shall rise and respectfully address himself to “Mr. Chairman.”
Synonyms: beclothe, dight, put on; see also Thesaurus:clothe
Likewise Vincentius, and Petrus de Natalibus, and others your writers and recorders of fables could have told you that Tecla sometime addressed herself in man's apparel, and, had she not been forbidden by St Paul, would have followed him in company as a man.
though the young Heroe had addreſs’d his Prayers to him for his aſſiſtance
He addressed some portions of his remarks to his supporters, some to his opponents.
Are not your orders to address the senate?
The representatives of the nation in parliament, and the privy council, address the king
Rimmer paused for no discernible reason, then yelled, equally inexplicably: 'Shut up!', wheeled round 180º, and appeared to be addressing a dartboard.
Imagine a country where children do nothing but play until they start compulsory schooling at age seven. Then, without exception, they attend comprehensives until the age of 16. […] Children address teachers by their first names. Even 15-year-olds do no more than 30 minutes' homework a night.
He addressed a letter.
Synonyms: romance, put the moves on; see also Thesaurus:woo
The ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore.
He stepped away from the sink, put up the toilet ring , and addressed the John.
Although there are dozens of different types of gems, among the best known and most important are […] .
"By all means we want people to use social media, but we do not want you to use it in ways that will incite violence," said Jonathan Toy, Southwark council's head of community safety. "This remains a big issue for us and without some form of censorship purely focusing on [violent videos], I'm not sure how we can address it."
Formerly [sic: Formally] known as the Rail Safety and Standards Board, the not-for-profit organisation's remit includes managing and developing Railway Group Standards on behalf of the rail industry, leading the development of long-term safety strategy, and supporting cross-industry groups that address major areas of safety risk.