1dis·course Pronunciation: 'dis-"kOrs, -"kors, dis-' Function: noun Etymology: Middle English discours, from Medieval Latin & Late Latin discursus; Medieval Latin, argument, from Late Latin, conversation, from Latin, act of running about, from discurrere to run about, from dis- + currere to run -- more at CAR Date: 14th century 1 archaic : the capacity of orderly thought or procedure : RATIONALITY 2 : verbal interchange of ideas; especially : CONVERSATION 3 a : formal and orderly and usually extended expression of thought on a subject b : connected speech or writing c : a linguistic unit (as a conversation or a story) larger than a sentence 4 obsolete : social familiarity