bespoken
- adjective
- /bɪˈspoʊkən/
- Archaic
:
a medida
- After months of planning, he finally received his bespoken shoes that matched his unique style.
Examples
-
She loved her bespoken dress, designed especially for her wedding day.
-
Either you tell people we're bespoken, or I will.
-
That we're bespoken, of course.
-
I'm glad you and Jesse are...bespoken.
-
We're bespoken, ain't we?
-
If not written down, it was at least regularly dreamed, bespoken, outlined—even filmed—and, of course, implemented whenever possible.
Academic text (1992) -
"Two hundred million crowns spent to gratify irresponsible popinjays whose only?" A droll voice above them said, "I hear myself bespoken."
Fiction book (1992) -
The tailor created a bespoken suit that fit him perfectly.
Synonyms
138
4.4
Made or done to fit one person's needs
27
3.8
Made for a customer to their exact instructions
14
3.8
Made for one person to match their needs
7
4.0
Made to fit a person's size or needs
7
4.1
Made to fit a particular person or a special use
7
6.9
Made for one person to fit their exact measurements
4
3.8
Created for a customer to match their requests
1
3.7
Made to fit one person's body exactly
1
4.1
Made for one person to fit their needs
How Tailored
Surface Forms
Morphology
bespoken = spoken (opaque) = be + speak + en
Although structurally be- + spoken is analyzable, the meaning 'made to order' does not follow from 'speak/spoken', so the relation is not predictable for an average learner.
Etymology
Bespoken comes from the verb bespeak, made of be- and speak, where bespeak used to mean 'to order' or 'to ask for' something. So bespoken means 'made to order' or 'made after someone asked for it', which is why it describes custom-made clothes or furniture.