Hypertext Webster Gateway: "surmise"
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Surmise \Sur*mise"\, n. [OF. surmise accusation, fr. surmettre,
p. p. surmis, to impose, accuse; sur (see {Sur-}) + mettre to
put, set, L. mittere to send. See {Mission}.]
1. A thought, imagination, or conjecture, which is based upon
feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess; as, the
surmisses of jealousy or of envy.
[We] double honor gain From his surmise proved
false. --Milton.
No man ought to be charged with principles he
actually disowns, unless his practicies contradict
his profession; not upon small surmises. --Swift.
2. Reflection; thought. [Obs.] --Shak.
Syn: Conjecture; supposition; suspicion; doubt.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) (web1913)
Surmise \Sur*mise"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Surmised}; p. pr. &
vb. n. {Surmising}.]
To imagine without certain knowledge; to infer on slight
grounds; to suppose, conjecture, or suspect; to guess.
It wafted nearer yet, and then she knew That what
before she but surmised, was true. --Dryden.
This change was not wrought by altering the form or
position of the earth, as was surmised by a very
learned man, but by dissolving it. --Woodward.
From WordNet (r) 1.7 (wn)
surmise
n : a message expressing an opinion based on incomplete evidence
[syn: {guess}, {conjecture}, {supposition}, {surmisal}, {speculation},
{hypothesis}]
v 1: infer from incomplete evidence
2: imagine to be true; "I suspect he is a fugitive" [syn: {suspect}]
Additional Hypertext Webster Gateway Lookup
Gateway by dict@stokkie.net
stock only wrote the gateway and does not have any control over the contents;
see the Webster Gateway FAQ,
and also the Back-end/database links and credits.