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speculate

Syllabification: (spec·u·late)
Pronunciation: /ˈspekyəˌlāt/
Translate speculate | into French | into German | into Italian | into Spanish
Definition of speculate

verb

[no object]
  • 1form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence:my colleagues speculate about my private life [with clause]:observers speculated that the authorities wished to improve their image
  • 2invest in stocks, property, or other ventures in the hope of gain but with the risk of loss:he didn’t look as though he had the money to speculate in stocks

Derivatives

speculator

Pronunciation: /-ˌlātər/
noun

Origin:

late 16th century: from Latin speculat- 'observed from a vantage point', from the verb speculari, from specula 'watchtower', from specere 'to look'

speculate in other Oxford dictionaries

Definition of speculate in the British & World English dictionary

Nearby words

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