spec ‧ u ‧ late /ˈspekjəleɪt, ˈspekjʊleɪt/ BrE AmE verb
[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: past participle of speculari 'to watch (secretly)' , from specere 'to look (at)' ]
1 . [intransitive and transitive] to guess about the possible causes or effects of something, without knowing all the facts or details:
She refused to speculate.
speculate on/about (why/what etc)
Jones refused to speculate about what might happen.
speculate that
Some analysts speculated that jobs will be lost.
2 . [intransitive] to buy goods, property, ↑ share s in a company etc, hoping that you will make a large profit when you sell them
speculate in/on
He speculated in stocks.