Say

verb (used with object), said, saying.
1.
to utter or pronounce; speak: What did you say? I said “Hello!”.
2.
to express in words; state; declare; word:
Say it clearly and simply. It’s hard to know how to say this tactfully.
3.
to state as an opinion or judgment:
I say her plan is the better one.
4.
to be certain, precise, or assured about; determine:
It is hard to say what is wrong.
5.
to recite or repeat:
to say one’s prayers.
6.
to report or allege; maintain:
People say he will resign.
7.
to express (a message, viewpoint, etc.), as through a literary or other artistic medium:
a writer with something to say.
8.
to indicate or show:
What does your watch say?
9.
to assume as a hypothesis or estimate:
Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that it’s true.
verb (used without object), said, saying.
10.
to speak; declare; express an opinion.
adverb
11.
approximately; about:
It’s, say, 14 feet long.
12.
for example:
If you serve, say tuna fish and potato chips, it will cost much less.
noun
13.
what a person says or has to say.
14.
the right or opportunity to speak, decide, or exercise influence:
to have one’s say in choosing the candidate.
15.
a turn to say something:
It is now my say.
interjection
16.
(used to express surprise, get attention, etc.)
Idioms
17.
that is to say. that (def 16).
verb (used with object), noun, British Dialect.
1.
assay.
noun
1.
a thin silk or woolen fabric similar to serge, much used in the 16th century.
noun
1.
Jean Baptiste
[zhahn ba-teest] /ʒɑ̃ baˈtist/ (Show IPA), 1767–1832, French economist.
Compare Say’s law.
2.
Thomas, 1787–1834, U.S. entomologist.
verb (mainly transitive) says (sɛz), saying, said
1.
to speak, pronounce, or utter
2.
(also intransitive) to express (an idea) in words; tell: we asked his opinion but he refused to say
3.
(also intransitive; may take a clause as object) to state (an opinion, fact, etc) positively; declare; affirm
4.
to recite: to say grace
5.
(may take a clause as object) to report or allege: they say we shall have rain today
6.
(may take a clause as object) to take as an assumption; suppose: let us say that he is lying
7.
(may take a clause as object) to convey by means of artistic expression: the artist in this painting is saying that we should look for hope
8.
to make a case for: there is much to be said for either course of action
9.
(usually passive) (Irish) to persuade or coax (someone) to do something: If I hadn’t been said by her, I wouldn’t be in this fix
10.
go without saying, to be so obvious as to need no explanation
11.
(mainly Brit, informal) I say!, an exclamation of surprise
12.
not to say, even; and indeed
13.
that is to say, in other words; more explicitly
14.
to say nothing of, as well as; even disregarding: he was warmly dressed in a shirt and heavy jumper, to say nothing of a thick overcoat
15.
to say the least, without the slightest exaggeration; at the very least
adverb
16.
approximately: there were, say, 20 people present
17.
for example: choose a number, say, four
noun
18.
the right or chance to speak: let him have his say
19.
authority, esp to influence a decision: he has a lot of say in the company’s policy
20.
a statement of opinion: you’ve had your say, now let me have mine
interjection
21.
(US & Canadian, informal) an exclamation to attract attention or express surprise, etc
noun
1.
(archaic) a type of fine woollen fabric
say

A human may “say” things to a computer by typing them on a terminal. “To list a directory verbosely, say “ls -l”.” Tends to imply a newline-terminated command (a “sentence”).
A computer may “say” things to you, even if it doesn’t have a speech synthesiser, by displaying them on a terminal in response to your commands. This usage often confuses mundanes.
[Jargon File]