Both Uses of
speculate
in
The Idiot
- After his wedding your father gave up his occupation as land-surveyor, and with his wife's dowry of fifteen thousand roubles went in for commercial speculations.†
Chpt 2.9 *speculations = thoughts, guesses, or theories; or the act of thinking, guessing, or theorizing
- He looked at it as a case that might bring him in a lot of money, and he did not calculate badly; because on the one hand he speculated on the generosity of the prince, and his gratitude to the late Mr. Pavlicheff, and on the other to his chivalrous ideas as to the obligations of honour and conscience.†
Chpt 2.9speculated = thought, wondered, guessed, or theorized
Definitions:
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(1)
(speculate as in: don't know, but I'll speculate) to think about, wonder, guess or theorize with much uncertainty
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(2)
(speculate as in: speculate in the stock market) to take a risk for profit--typically a risky investment
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(3)
(meaning too rare to warrant focus) Much more rarely, speculation can refer to a gambling card game that was popular in the past.