Webster's Unabridged Dictionary - Letter S - Page 126

Spectrum (n.) A luminous appearance, or an image seen after the eye has been exposed to an intense light or a strongly illuminated object. When the object is colored, the image appears of the complementary color, as a green image seen after viewing a red wafer lying on white paper. Called also ocular spectrum.

Specular (a.) Having the qualities of a speculum, or mirror; having a smooth, reflecting surface; as, a specular metal; a specular surface.

Specular (a.) Of or pertaining to a speculum; conducted with the aid of a speculum; as, a specular examination.

Specular (a.) Assisting sight, as a lens or the like.

Specular (a.) Affording view.

Speculated (imp. & p. p.) of Speculate

Speculating (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Speculate

Speculate (v. i.) To consider by turning a subject in the mind, and viewing it in its different aspects and relations; to meditate; to contemplate; to theorize; as, to speculate on questions in religion; to speculate on political events.

Speculate (v. i.) To view subjects from certain premises given or assumed, and infer conclusions respecting them a priori.

Speculate (v. i.) To purchase with the expectation of a contingent advance in value, and a consequent sale at a profit; -- often, in a somewhat depreciative sense, of unsound or hazardous transactions; as, to speculate in coffee, in sugar, or in bank stock.

Speculate (v. t.) To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a thing.

Speculation (n.) The act of speculating.

Speculation (n.) Examination by the eye; view.

Speculation (n.) Mental view of anything in its various aspects and relations; contemplation; intellectual examination.

Speculation (n.) The act or process of reasoning a priori from premises given or assumed.

Speculation (n.) The act or practice of buying land, goods, shares, etc., in expectation of selling at a higher price, or of selling with the expectation of repurchasing at a lower price; a trading on anticipated fluctuations in price, as distinguished from trading in which the profit expected is the difference between the retail and wholesale prices, or the difference of price in different markets.

Speculation (n.) Any business venture in involving unusual risks, with a chance for large profits.

Speculation (n.) A conclusion to which the mind comes by speculating; mere theory; view; notion; conjecture.

Speculation (n.) Power of sight.

Speculation (n.) A game at cards in which the players buy from one another trumps or whole hands, upon a chance of getting the highest trump dealt, which entitles the holder to the pool of stakes.

Speculatist (n.) One who speculates, or forms theories; a speculator; a theorist.

Speculative (a.) Given to speculation; contemplative.

Speculative (a.) Involving, or formed by, speculation; ideal; theoretical; not established by demonstration.

Speculative (a.) Of or pertaining to vision; also, prying; inquisitive; curious.

Speculative (a.) Of or pertaining to speculation in land, goods, shares, etc.; as, a speculative dealer or enterprise.

Speculator (n.) One who speculates. Specifically: (a) An observer; a contemplator; hence, a spy; a watcher.

Speculator (n.) One who forms theories; a theorist.

Speculator (n.) One who engages in speculation; one who buys and sells goods, land, etc., with the expectation of deriving profit from fluctuations in price.

Speculatorial (a.) Speculatory; speculative.

Speculatory (a.) Intended or adapted for viewing or espying; having oversight.

Speculatory (a.) Exercising speculation; speculative.

Speculist (n.) One who observes or considers; an observer.

Specula (pl. ) of Speculum

Speculum (pl. ) of Speculum

Speculum (n.) A mirror, or looking-glass; especially, a metal mirror, as in Greek and Roman archaeology.

Speculum (n.) A reflector of polished metal, especially one used in reflecting telescopes. See Speculum metal, below.

Speculum (n.) An instrument for dilating certain passages of the body, and throwing light within them, thus facilitating examination or surgical operations.

Speculum (n.) A bright and lustrous patch of color found on the wings of ducks and some other birds. It is usually situated on the distal portions of the secondary quills, and is much more brilliant in the adult male than in the female.

Sped () imp. & p. p. of Speed.

Speece (n.) Species; sort.

Speech (n.) The faculty of uttering articulate sounds or words; the faculty of expressing thoughts by words or articulate sounds; the power of speaking.

Speech (n.) he act of speaking; that which is spoken; words, as expressing ideas; language; conversation.

Speech (n.) A particular language, as distinct from others; a tongue; a dialect.

Speech (n.) Talk; mention; common saying.

Speech (n.) formal discourse in public; oration; harangue.

Speech (n.) ny declaration of thoughts.

Speech (v. i. & t.) To make a speech; to harangue.

Speechful (a.) Full of speech or words; voluble; loquacious.

Speechification (n.) The act of speechifying.

Speechifier (n.) One who makes a speech or speeches; an orator; a declaimer.

Speechified (imp. & p. p.) of Speechify

Speechifying (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Speechify

Speechify (v. i.) To make a speech; to harangue.

Speechifying (n.) The act of making a speech or speeches.

Speeching (n.) The act of making a speech.

Speechless (a.) Destitute or deprived of the faculty of speech.

Speechless (a.) Not speaking for a time; dumb; mute; silent.

Speechmaker (n.) One who makes speeches; one accustomed to speak in a public assembly.

Speed (n.) Prosperity in an undertaking; favorable issue; success.

Speed (n.) The act or state of moving swiftly; swiftness; velocity; rapidly; rate of motion; dispatch; as, the speed a horse or a vessel.

Speed (n.) One who, or that which, causes or promotes speed or success.

Sped (imp. & p. p.) of Speed

Speeded () of Speed

Speeding (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Speed

Speed (n.) To go; to fare.

Speed (n.) To experience in going; to have any condition, good or ill; to fare.

Speed (n.) To fare well; to have success; to prosper.

Speed (n.) To make haste; to move with celerity.

Speed (n.) To be expedient.

Speed (v. t.) To cause to be successful, or to prosper; hence, to aid; to favor.

Speed (v. t.) To cause to make haste; to dispatch with celerity; to drive at full speed; hence, to hasten; to hurry.

Speed (v. t.) To hasten to a conclusion; to expedite.

Speed (v. t.) To hurry to destruction; to put an end to; to ruin; to undo.

Speed (v. t.) To wish success or god fortune to, in any undertaking, especially in setting out upon a journey.

Speeder (n.) One who, or that which, speeds.

Speeder (n.) A machine for drawing and twisting slivers to form rovings.

Speedful (a.) Full of speed (in any sense).

Speedfully (adv.) In a speedful manner.

Speedily (adv.) In a speedy manner.

Speediness (n.) The quality or state of being speedy.

Speedless (a.) Being without speed.

Speedwell (n.) Any plant of the genus Veronica, mostly low herbs with pale blue corollas, which quickly fall off.

Speedy (superl.) Not dilatory or slow; quick; swift; nimble; hasty; rapid in motion or performance; as, a speedy flight; on speedy foot.

Speer (n.) A sphere.

Speer (v. t.) To ask.

Speet (v. t.) To stab.

Speight (n.) A woodpecker; -- called also specht, spekt, spight.

Speir (v. i.) To ask. See Spere.

Speiskobalt (n.) Smaltite.

Speiss (n.) A regulus consisting essentially of nickel, obtained as a residue in fusing cobalt and nickel ores with silica and sodium carbonate to make smalt.

Spekboom (n.) The purslane tree of South Africa, -- said to be the favorite food of elephants.

Speke (v. i. & t.) To speak.

Spekehouse (n.) The parlor or reception room of a convent.

Spelding (n.) A haddock or other small fish split open and dried in the sun; -- called also speldron.

Spelicans (n. pl.) See Spilikin.

Spelk (n.) A small stick or rod used as a spike in thatching; a splinter.

Spell (n.) A spelk, or splinter.

Spelled (imp. & p. p.) of Spell

Spelling (p. pr. & vb. n.) of Spell

Spell (v. t.) To supply the place of for a time; to take the turn of, at work; to relieve; as, to spell the helmsman.

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