All 4 Uses of
speculate
in
To Kill a Mockingbird
- He examined Walter with an air of speculation.
p. 25.7speculation = consideration
- These were abstract speculations for the first month of her stay, as she had little to say to Jem or me, and we saw her only at mealtimes and at night before we went to bed.
p. 149.7 *speculations = thoughts
- There will be no more audibly obscene speculations on any subject from anybody in this courtroom as long as I'm sitting here.
p. 196.2
- Here Judge Taylor glanced sharply at the witness and must have decided his speculations devoid of evil intent, for he subsided sleepily.
p. 196.6
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) Much more rarely, speculation can refer to a gambling card game that was popular in the past.