Both Uses of
hypothesis
in
The House of the Seven Gables
- His professional brethren, each for himself, adopted various hypotheses, more or less plausible, but all dressed out in a perplexing mystery of phrase, which, if it do not show a bewilderment of mind in these erudite physicians, certainly causes it in the unlearned peruser of their opinions.†
Chpt 1 *hypotheses = ideas or explanations that are seemingly reasonable, but unproven
- For example, sir, in a dark, low, cross-beamed, panelled room of an old house, let us suppose a dead man, sitting in an arm-chair, with a blood-stain on his shirt-bosom,—and let us add to our hypothesis another man, issuing from the house, which he feels to be over-filled with the dead man's presence,—and let us lastly imagine him fleeing, Heaven knows whither, at the speed of a hurricane, by railroad!†
Chpt 17
Definitions:
-
(1)
(hypothesis as in: a study to test her hypothesis) a seemingly reasonable, but unproven idea or explanation based upon known factsIn casual conversation, theory is a synonym for hypothesis, but a scientist would say that a hypothesis needs to pass rigorous tests before it could be accepted as a theory.
-
(2)
(hypothesis as in: assume as a working hypothesis) something that may or may not be true, but is temporarily treated as true to advance a discussion or to further investigationThis sense of hypothesis is typically seen in the form, hypothetical, or hypothetically.