Speculate - Definition

v 1: to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds;
"Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in swamps"
[syn: speculate, 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,
speculate]
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: speculate, job]