speculate (
http://definr.com/speculate)
v 1: to believe especially on uncertain or tentative grounds:
"Scientists supposed that large dinosaurs lived in
swamps." [syn:
theorize,
theorise,
conjecture,
hypothesize,
hypothecate,
suppose]
2: indulge in speculations
3: reflect deeply on a subject; "I mulled over the events of
the afternoon"; "philosophers have speculated on the
question of God for thousands of years"; "The scientist
must stop to observe and start to excogitate" [syn: {chew
over},
think over,
meditate,
ponder,
excogotate,
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" [syn:
job]