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guessing

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guessing

 

  2  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Guess  \Guess\,  v.  t.  [imp.  &  p.  p.  {Guessed};  p.  pr  &  vb  n. 
  {Guessing}.]  [OE.  gessen;  akin  to  Dan.  gisse,  Sw  gissa, 
  Icel.  gizha,  D.  gissen:  cf  Dan.  giette  to  guess,  Icel.  geta 
  to  get  to  guess.  Probably  originally,  to  try  to  get  and 
  akin  to  E.  get  See  {Get}.] 
  1.  To  form  an  opinion  concerning,  without  knowledge  or  means 
  of  knowledge;  to  judge  of  at  random;  to  conjecture. 
 
  First  if  thou  canst,  the  harder  reason  guess. 
  --Pope. 
 
  2.  To  judge  or  form  an  opinion  of  from  reasons  that  seem 
  preponderating,  but  are  not  decisive. 
 
  We  may  then  guess  how  far  it  was  from  his  design. 
  --Milton. 
 
  Of  ambushed  men,  whom  by  their  arms  and  dress,  To 
  be  Taxallan  enemies  I  guess.  --Dryden. 
 
  3.  To  solve  by  a  correct  conjecture;  to  conjecture  rightly; 
  as  he  who  guesses  the  riddle  shall  have  the  ring;  he  has 
  guessed  my  designs. 
 
  4.  To  hit  upon  or  reproduce  by  memory.  [Obs.] 
 
  Tell  me  their  words  as  near  as  thou  canst  guess 
  them  --Shak. 
 
  5.  To  think;  to  suppose;  to  believe;  to  imagine;  --  followed 
  by  an  objective  clause. 
 
  Not  all  together;  better  far  I  guess,  That  we  do 
  make  our  entrance  several  ways.  --Shak. 
 
  But  in  known  images  of  life  I  guess  The  labor 
  greater.  --Pope. 
 
  Syn:  To  conjecture;  suppose;  surmise;  suspect;  divine;  think; 
  imagine;  fancy. 
 
  Usage:  {To  Guess},  {Think},  {Reckon}.  Guess  denotes,  to 
  attempt  to  hit  upon  at  random;  as  to  guess  at  a  thing 
  when  blindfolded;  to  conjecture  or  form  an  opinion  on 
  hidden  or  very  slight  grounds:  as  to  guess  a  riddle; 
  to  guess  out  the  meaning  of  an  obscure  passage.  The 
  use  of  the  word  guess  for  think  or  believe,  although 
  abundantly  sanctioned  by  good  English  authors,  is  now 
  regarded  as  antiquated  and  objectionable  by 
  discriminating  writers.  It  may  properly  be  branded  as 
  a  colloguialism  and  vulgarism  when  used  respecting  a 
  purpose  or  a  thing  about  which  there  is  no 
  uncertainty;  as  I  guess  I  'll  go  to  bed. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  guessing 
  n  :  an  estimate  based  on  little  or  no  information  [syn:  {guess}, 
  {guesswork},  {shot},  {dead  reckoning}]




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