mid-15c., peroracioun, "a speech, an address," in rhetoric, "the concluding part of an address," involving an emphatic restatement of the principal points, from Latin perorationem (nominative peroratio) "the ending of a speech or argument of a case," from past-participle stem of perorare "argue a case to the end, bring a speech to a close," from per "to the end," hence "thoroughly, completely" (from PIE root *per- (1) "forward," hence "through") + ōrare "to speak, plead" (see orator).