All 7 Uses of
speculate
in
Babbitt
- Conrad Lyte was a real-estate speculator.†
Chpt 4 (definition 1)
- He was a nervous speculator.†
Chpt 4 (definition 1) *
- "But I do know that about ten times as many people find their lives dull, and unnecessarily dull, as ever admit it; and I do believe that if we busted out and admitted it sometimes, instead of being nice and patient and loyal for sixty years, and then nice and patient and dead for the rest of eternity, why, maybe, possibly, we might make life more fun." They drifted into a maze of speculation.
Chpt 5 (definition 2) *speculation = thought
- Mrs. Babbitt, darning socks, speculated, "Yes, I wonder why."
Chpt 6 (definition 2)
- He was, for the moment, sharing the high thin air of Babbitt's speculation as though he were Paul Riesling or even Dr. Howard Littlefield.
Chpt 6 (definition 2)speculation = thinking
- Though he exulted, and made sage speculations about locomotive horse-power, as their train climbed the Maine mountain-ridge...
Chpt 11 (definition 2)speculations = thoughts
- He was laden with responsibility till he threw it off with the speculation: "Why the deuce should I fret so about not being able to 'phone Tanis?"
Chpt 30 (definition 2)speculation = thought
Definitions:
-
(1) (speculate as in: speculate in the stock market) to take a risk for profit--typically a risky investment
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(2) (speculate as in: don't know, but I'll speculate) to think about, wonder, guess or theorize with much uncertainty