Crossword clues for speculate
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
The Collaborative International Dictionary
Speculate \Spec"u*late\, v. t.
To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a
thing. [R.]
--Sir W. Hamilton.
Speculate \Spec"u*late\, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Speculated; p. pr. & vb. n. Speculating.] [L. speculatus, p. p. of speculari to spy out, observe, fr. specula a lookout, fr. specere to look. See Spy.]
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To consider by turning a subject in the mind, and viewing it in its different aspects and relations; to meditate; to contemplate; to theorize; as, to speculate on questions in religion; to speculate on political events.
It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most pefect quietude to the external regulations of society.
--Hawthorne. (Philos.) To view subjects from certain premises given or assumed, and infer conclusions respecting them a priori.
(Com.) To purchase with the expectation of a contingent advance in value, and a consequent sale at a profit; -- often, in a somewhat depreciative sense, of unsound or hazardous transactions; as, to speculate in coffee, in sugar, or in bank stock.
Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
1590s, "view mentally, contemplate" (transitive), back-formation from speculation. Also formerly "view as from a watchtower" (1610s). Intransitive sense of "pursue truth by conjecture or thinking" is from 1670s. Meaning "to invest money upon risk for the sake of profit" is from 1785. Related: Speculated; speculating.
Wiktionary
vb. 1 (context intransitive English) To think, meditate or reflect on a subject; to consider, to deliberate or cogitate. 2 (context intransitive English) To make an inference based on inconclusive evidence; to surmise or conjecture.
WordNet
v. to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds; "Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps" [syn: theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose]
talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion; "We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal"
reflect deeply on a subject; "I mulled over the events of the afternoon"; "philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years"; "The scientist must stop to observe and start to excogitate" [syn: chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate]
invest at a risk; "I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating" [syn: job]
Usage examples of "speculate".
Borja privately speculated that the record had almost certainly been altered or effaced after the event to insure that the eventual loser appeared as the antipope to the eyes of history.
They have thus occasioned modern expounders to speculate about the Gnostic speculations in a manner that is marked by still greater strangeness.
Had pure philosophy, he was speculating, ever advanced beyond the Three Hypostases of Plotinus?
There were knots of half-grown men on the corners of the street and about the adjacent pot-houses who were driving a good traffic in tickets, and other knots of creatures, neither men nor boys, but that New York intermedium, who has lost the honesty of the boy without gaining the manliness of the man, were speculating upon the probabilities of a fight, and expressing very decided opinions as to the possibility of licking the Frenchmen who would endeavor to keep them out or keep them orderly after they got in.
I speculated that, prior to my arrival for the final demonstration, Galvadon had felt the latest object on the Thim shelf or altar or whatever it was, and reported to Munt on its shape and attributes.
In later chapters, as I present my theory of music, we will have reason to speculate on the existence and purpose of a number of distinct tono-topic cortical maps, and on the relationship between perceived musicality and the patterns of neural activity in those maps.
The stranger, as he speculates on these pandemoniac noises, is able to realize the idea that were they discontinued the excitement necessary for the minds of the pundits might be lowered, and that activity might be lessened, and evil results might follow.
But now she had no time to speculate upon so trivial a thing, for behind her came the sudden clash of arms and she knew that Turan, the panthan, had crossed swords with the first of their pursuers.
And I was still speculating as to what tureen of soup she was planning to land the sainted Pinker in and hoping that he would have enough sense to stay out of it, when Jeeves drove up in the car, a welcome sight.
If the Blue Wheel Party collapses and its members realign with the War Party or the Imperials, every street merchant in Ontoset is speculating on the news the next day to the marketplace.
Any aspect of creation, of the physical universe and its daily workings, is presumed to have a highly esoteric and recomplicated origin, but one which is nonetheless capable of being speculated on wildly, almost ad infinitum in fact, by the properly trained mind.
The girl was pretty, perhaps pretty enough to divert Sertes from speculating about Rizpah.
I followed rapidly until, darkness shutting down, I was forced to await the rising of the moon, and given an opportunity to speculate on the question of the wisdom of my chase.
Sceptics, or decide with the Stoics, sublimely speculate with Plato, or severely argue with Aristotle.
Johnson, however, had a noble ambition floating in his mind, and had, undoubtedly, often speculated on the possibility of his supereminent powers being rewarded in this great and liberal country by the highest honours of the state.