speculate

• POS: Verb (usu participle), Verb (intransitive)
• HYPHEN: spec=u=late

CIDE DICTIONARY

speculate, v. i. [L. speculatus, p. p. of speculari to spy out, observe, fr. specula a lookout, fr. specere to look. See Spy.].

•  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."  [1913 Webster]
•  To view subjects from certain premises given or assumed, and infer conclusions respecting them a priori.  [1913 Webster]
•  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]

speculate, v. t. 

 To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a thing.  Sir W. Hamilton.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

speculate, v.
1 intr. (usu. foll. by on, upon, about) form a theory or conjecture, esp. without a firm factual basis; meditate (speculated on their prospects).
2 tr. (foll. by that, how, etc. + clause) conjecture, consider (speculated how he might achieve it).
3 intr. a invest in stocks etc. in the hope of gain but with the possibility of loss. b gamble recklessly.

Derivative

speculator n.

Etymology

L speculari spy out, observe f. specula watch-tower f. specere look

THESAURUS

speculate

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

ROGET THESAURUS

speculate

Chance

VB chance, stand a chance, toss up, cast lots, draw lots, leave to chance, trust to chance, leave to the chapter of accidents, trust to the chapter of accidents, tempt fortune, chance it, take one's chance, take a shot at it (attempt), run the risk, run the chance, incur the risk, incur the chance, encounter the risk, encounter the chance, stand the hazard of the die, speculate, try one's luck, set on a cast, raffle, put into a lottery, buy a pig in a poke, shuffle the cards, risk, venture, hazard, stake, ante, lay, lay a wager, make a bet, wager, bet, gamble, game, play for, play at chuck farthing, chance, hap, turn up, fall to one's lot, be one's fate, stumble on light upon, take one's chance.

Essay

VB try, essay, experiment, endeavor, strive, tempt, attempt, make an attempt, venture, adventure, speculate, take one's chance, tempt fortune, try one's fortune, try one's luck, try one's hand, use one's endeavor, feel one's way, grope one's way, pick one's way, try hard, push, make a bold push, use one's best endeavor, do one's best.

Barter

VB barter, exchange, swap, swop, truck, scorse, interchange, commutate, compound for, trade, traffic, buy and sell, give and take, nundinate, carry on a trade, ply a trade, drive a trade, be in business, be in the city, keep a shop, deal in, employ one's capital in, trade with, deal with, have dealings with, transact business with, do business with, open an account with, keep an account with, bargain, drive a bargain, make a bargain, negotiate, bid for, haggle, higgle, dicker, chaffer, huckster, cheapen, beat down, stickle, stickle for, out bid, under bid, ask, charge, strike a bargain, speculate, give a sprat to catch a herring, buy in the cheapest and sell in the dearest market, buy low and sell high, corner the market, rig the market, stag the market.

Stock Market

VB speculate, invest, trade, trade stocks, play the market, buy long, sell short, take a position, straddle, take a plunge, plunge in, take a flier.

Vision

VB see, behold, discern, perceive, have in sight, descry, sight, make out, discover, distinguish, recognize, spy, espy, ken, get a sight of, have a sight of, catch a sight of, get a glimpse of, have a glimpse of, catch a glimpse of, command a view of, witness, contemplate, speculate, cast the eyes on, set the eyes on, be a spectator of, look on, see sights, see at a glance, look, view, eye, lift up the eyes, open one's eye, look at, look on, look upon, look over, look about one, look round, survey, scan, inspect, run the eye over, run the eye through, reconnoiter, glance round, glance on, glance over turn one's looks upon, bend one's looks upon, direct the eyes to, turn the eyes on, cast a glance, observe, watch, see with one's own eyes, watch for, peep, peer, pry, take a peep, play at bopeep, look full in the face, look hard at, look intently, strain one's eyes, fix the eyes upon, rivet the eyes upon, stare, gaze, pore over, gloat on, leer, ogle, glare, goggle, cock the eye, squint, gloat, look askance.

Thought

VB think, reflect, cogitate, excogitate, consider, deliberate, bestow thought upon, bestow consideration upon, speculate, contemplate, meditate, ponder, muse, dream, ruminate, brood over, con over, animadvert, study, bend the mind, apply the mind, digest, discuss, hammer at, weigh, perpend, realize, appreciate, fancy, trow, take into consideration, take counsel, commune with oneself, bethink oneself, collect one's thoughts, revolve in the mind, turn over in the mind, run over in the mind, chew the cud upon, sleep upon, take counsel of one's pillow, advise with one's pillow, rack one's brains, ransack one's brains, crack one's brains, beat one's brains, cudgel one's brains, set one's brain to work, set one's wits to work, harbor an idea, entertain an idea, cherish an idea, nurture an idea, take into one's head, bear in mind, reconsider, occur, present itself, suggest itself, come into one's head, get into one's head, strike one, flit across the view, come uppermost, run in one s head, enter the mind, pass in the mind, cross the mind, flash on the mind, flash across the mind, float in the mind, fasten itself on the mind, be uppermost in the mind, occupy the mind, have in one's mind, make an impression, sink into the mind, penetrate into the mind, engross the thoughts.

Supposition

VB suppose, conjecture, surmise, suspect, guess, divine, theorize, presume, presurmise, presuppose, assume, fancy, wis, take it, give a guess, speculate, believe, dare say, take it into one's head, take for granted, imagine, put forth, propound, propose, start, put a case, submit, move, make a motion, hazard out, throw out a suggestion, put forward a suggestion, put forward conjecture, allude to, suggest, hint, put it into one's head, suggest itself, run in the head, marvel if, wonder if, wonder whether.