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See Picul.

l public moneys intrusted to one's care; to embezzle. An oppressive, . . . rapacious, and peculating despotism. Burke.

The act or practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement. Every British subject . . . active in the discovery of peculations has been ruined. Burke.

One who peculates. "Peculators of the public gold." Cowper.

ic possession and use; not owned in common or in participation. And purify unto himself a peculiar people. Titus ii. 14. Hymns . . . that Christianity hath peculiar unto itself. Hooker.

The quality or state of being peculiar; individuality; singularity. Swift.

To make peculiar; to set appart or assign, as an exclusive possession. [R.] Dr. John Smith.

In a peculiar manner; particulary; in a rare and striking degree; unusually.

The quality or state of being peculiar; peculiarity. Mede.

A special fund for private and personal uses. A slight peculium only subtracted to supply his snuff box and tobacco pouch. Sir W. Scott.

A robbing or embezzlement. [Obs.] Depeculation of the public treasure. Hobbes.

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

in its different aspects and relations; to meditate; to contemplate; to theorize; as, to speculate on questions in religion; to speculate on political events. It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most pefect quietude to the external regulations of society. Hawthorne.…

The act of speculating. Specifically: --

One who speculates, or forms theories; a speculator; a theorist. The very ingenious speculatist, Mr. Hume. V. Knox.

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

One who speculates. Specifically: (a) An observer; a contemplator; hence, a spy; a watcher. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Speculatory; speculative. [Obs.]

Exercising speculation; speculative. T. Carew.

One who observes or considers; an observer. [R.] Goldsmith.