A Topical Dictionary: Search for speculate

Dictionary Results For "speculate" [?]/[OPML]

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GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English 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.]
1. 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.
[1913 Webster]

It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most
boldly often conform with the most pefect quietude
to the external regulations of society. --Hawthorne.
[1913 Webster]

2. (Philos.) To view subjects from certain premises given or
assumed, and infer conclusions respecting them a priori.
[1913 Webster]

3. (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.
[1913 Webster]

GNU Project's publication of CIDE, the Collaborative International Dictionary of English Speculate \Spec"u*late\, v. t.
To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a
thing. [R.] --Sir W. Hamilton.
[1913 Webster]

WordNet Speculate
v 1: to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds;
"Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in
swamps" [syn: theorize, theorise, conjecture, hypothesize,
hypothesise, hypothecate, suppose]
2: 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"
3: 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]
4: 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]

Moby Dictionary
be abstracted , be caught short , be short , belong , brood , bucket ,
bucketshop , buy in , buy into , call , cast a horoscope ,
cast a nativity , cast lots , cerebrate , chew over , chew the cud ,
cogitate , consider , contemplate , cut lots , cut the cards , debate ,
deliberate , deposit margin , digest , divine , dope , dope out ,
dowse for water , draw lots , draw straws , entertain a theory ,
espouse a theory , evaluate , excogitate , financier , forebode ,
forecast , foresee , foretell , fortune-tell , gamble , game , go long ,
guess , hariolate , have a theory , hold on , hypothesize , introspect ,
invest , invest in , judge , lay out money , lot , make a killing ,
make a prediction , make a prognosis , make a prophecy , make a scoop ,
make an investment , margin up , match coins , meditate ,
miss the market , mull over , muse , operate , overstay the market ,
perpend , place , play , play around with , play at dice ,
play the market , play the ponies , play with , plow back into ,
plunge , ponder , ponder over , postulate , predict , prefigure ,
presage , prognosticate , prophesy , put , pyramid , raffle off ,
read palms , read tea leaves , read the future , reason , reflect ,
reinvest , review , risk , ruminate , scalp , scoop the market ,
shoot craps , sink , sink money in , soothsay , sport , stag ,
stag the market , study , take a chance , take a flier , tell fortunes ,
tell the future , theorize , toss , toy with , trade on margin ,
vaticinate , venture , wager , weigh , wonder about