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Verb: speculate  'spe-kyu,leyt
  1. To believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds
    "Scientists speculated that large dinosaurs lived in swamps";
    - theorize, theorise [Brit], conjecture, hypothesize, hypothesise [Brit], hypothecate, suppose
     
  2. Talk over conjecturally, or review in an idle or casual way and with an element of doubt or without sufficient reason to reach a conclusion
    "We were speculating whether the President had to resign after the scandal";
    - muse
     
  3. Think deeply about a subject or question over a period of time
    "philosophers have speculated on the question of God for thousands of years";
    - chew over, think over, meditate, ponder, excogitate, contemplate, muse, reflect, mull, mull over, ruminate
     
  4. Invest at a risk
    "I bought this house not because I want to live in it but to sell it later at a good price, so I am speculating";
    - job

Derived forms: speculated, speculating, speculates

See also: cerebrate

Type of: anticipate, cerebrate, cogitate, commit, expect, invest, place, put, reason, think

Encyclopedia: Speculate