Both Uses of
speculate
in
O Pioneers!
- He speculated, lost his own fortune and funds entrusted to him by poor seafaring men, and died disgraced, leaving his children nothing.†
Chpt 1.2 *speculated = thought, wondered, guessed, or theorized
- It diverted him to speculate as to how much weight each of the steers would probably put on by spring.†
Chpt 1.2
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.