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ack-with-a-lantern, Jack-o'-lantern. (a) An ignis fatuus; a will-o'-the-wisp. "[Newspaper speculations] supplying so many more jack-o'-lanterns to the future historian." Lowell. (b) A lantern made of a pumpkin so prepared as to show in illumination the features of a human face, etc. -- Yellow Jack (Naut.), the yellow…

distinction from those who do. Being a layman, I ought not to have concerned myself with speculations which belong to the profession. Dryden.

equence; weight or value; consideration. Matters of great moment. Shak. It is an abstruse speculation, but also of far less moment and consequence of us than the others. Bentley.

scribable; -- with to; as, misfortunes are often owing to vices; his failure was owing to speculations.

rn out (profitably or unprofitably); to result; to develop; as, the investigation, or the speculation, panned out poorly. [Slang, U. S.]

Philosophical speculation and discussion. [Obs.] Sir W. Petty.

ssness on a race, or other contest; in an extended sense, to risk large sums in hazardous speculations. [Cant] Plunging fire (Gun.), firing directed upon an enemy from an elevated position.

as the result of plans and efforts; to gain; to get; as, to realize large profits from a speculation. Knighthood was not beyond the reach of any man who could by diligent thrift realize a good estate. Macaulay.

pay back to; to indemnify; -- often reflexive; as, to reimburse one's self by successful speculation. Paley.

nveniences by blabbing out his own or other's secrets. Ray. Others, accustomed to retired speculations, run natural philosophy into metaphysical notions. Locke.

haste and eagerness, or without due deliberation and preparation; as, to rush business or speculation. They . . . never think it to be a part of religion to rush into the office of princes and ministers. Sprat.

nhance enjoyment or relieve dullness; as, wit is the seasoning of conversation. Political speculations are of so dry and austere a nature, that they will not go down with the public without frequent seasonings. Addison. Seasoning tub (Bakery), a trough in which dough is set to rise. Knight.

uteness in the observation of character, in contrast to habits of acquired learning or of speculation." -- Moral sense. See under Moral, (a). -- The inner, or internal, sense, capacity of the mind to be aware of its own states; consciousness; reflection. "This source of ideas every man has wholly in himself, and thoug…

Given to speculation; contemplative. The mind of man being by nature speculative. Hooker.

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

Exercising speculation; speculative. T. Carew.

ciples and methods. -- Speculative theology, theology as founded upon, or influenced by, speculation or metaphysical philosophy. -- Systematic theology, that branch of theology of which the aim is to reduce all revealed truth to a series of statements that together shall constitute an organized whole. E. G. Robinson…

Pertaining to theory; depending on, or confined to, theory or speculation; speculative; terminating in theory or speculation: not practical; as, theoretical learning; theoretic sciences. -- The`o*ret"ic*al*ly, adv.

The speculative part of a science; speculation. At the very first, with our Lord himself, and his apostles, as represented to us in the New Testament, morals come before contemplation, ethics before theoretics. H. B. Wilson.

Speculation; theory. [Obs.] Shak.