All 3 Uses of
speculate
in
The War of the Worlds
- He was full of speculation that night about the condition of Mars, and scoffed at the vulgar idea of its having inhabitants who were signalling us.
Chpt 1.1 *speculation = theories
- After working an hour I began to speculate on the distance one had to go before the cloaca was reached, the chances we had of missing it altogether.
Chpt 2.7speculate = think
- But such unproven speculations will scarcely be of interest to the general reader, to whom this story is addressed.
Chpt 2.10speculations = theories
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) meaning too rare to warrant focus:
Much more rarely, speculation can refer to a gambling card game that was popular in the past.