5 uses
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1 —2 uses as in:
speculate in the stock market
Definition
to take a risk for profit—typically a risky investment
- Perhaps there were those who dreamed of owning whole townships, even the whole county, but the history of Zebulon County was not the history of wealthy investment, but of poor people who got lucky, who were sold a bill of goods by speculators and discovered they had received a gift of riches beyond the speculators' wildest lies, land whose fertility surpassed hope.p. 131.4
- Perhaps there were those who dreamed of owning whole townships, even the whole county, but the history of Zebulon County was not the history of wealthy investment, but of poor people who got lucky, who were sold a bill of goods by speculators and discovered they had received a gift of riches beyond the speculators' wildest lies, land whose fertility surpassed hope.p. 131.5
There are no more uses of "speculate" flagged with this meaning in A Thousand Acres.
Typical Usage
(best examples)
? —3 uses
exact meaning not specified
- I reflected as I opened the screen door that speculations about my father were never idle or entertaining, but always something to be flinched from.p. 114.3
- It was a story the neighbors surely followed with relish, eager for clues to what was really going on, and ready to supply any memories or speculation that would explain unaccountable twists in the narrative.p. 155.9
- Four thousand was a number that Mary Carson liked, for one thing, two hundred to two hundred and twenty productive sows, three turns, and it was a number that the Harvestore dealer kept speculating about.p. 167.8
There are no more uses of "speculate" in A Thousand Acres.
Typical Usage
(best examples)