[f. F. conjecture-r (13th c. in Littré), f. conjecture. Cognate forms appear in the other Romanic langs., It. congetturare, Sp. conjeturar, med.L. conjecturāre.]
† 1. trans. and intr. To infer or gather from signs or omens; to divine, prognosticate. Obs.
1382. [see CONJECTURING].
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), viii. 29. By þe chaungeyng of þe coloures men … knawes and coniectures wheder it schall be derthe of corne.
1584. R. Scot, Discov. Witchcr., VII. xi. 117. Conjecture unto me by thy familiar spirit.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 311. Melampus, the augur, conjectured at the slaughter of the Greeks, by the flight of little birds.
† 2. trans. To conclude, infer, or judge, from appearances or probabilities. (With obj. or clause.)
1494. Fabyan, Chron., VI. clxxxvi. 187. Whiche thynge thus by the kynge desyred, the lordes anone coniectured in their myndes that he desyred the kepynge of theyr yonge lorde, to ye ende that he myght [etc.].
1555. Eden, Decades, 30. They coniectured that these thynges portended sum great matter.
1576. Fleming, Panopl. Epist., 346. Occupying his pen (as by the course of his wordes, is to be conjectured) so unnecessarily.
1618. Bolton, Florus, II. xv. 135. The fury of the rebels may be conjectured by this, that they pluckt down house-tops.
3. To form an opinion or supposition as to facts on grounds admittedly insufficient; to guess, surmise; to propose as a conjecture in textual or historical criticism, etc. a. with obj. clause.
1530. Palsgr., 494/1. As I conjecture, it wyll be founde.
1573. G. Harvey, Letter-bk. (Camden), 40. Being not able to coniecture what purpose he should have in his hed.
1634. W. Tirwhyt, trans. Balzac’s Lett., 57. I can lesse conjecture, that you are hindred by want of Health … I will therefore imagine whatsoever you will have me to thinke.
1789. Mrs. Piozzi, Journ. France, I. 117. We conjectured he meant Dr. Burney.
1866. G. Macdonald, Ann. Q. Neighb., xxvi. (1878), 451. I found it difficult even to conjecture from his countenance what thoughts were passing through his mind.
b. with simple obj.
1538. Bale, Thre Lawes, G j b. The rest of the partes are easye ynough to coniecture.
1636. Healey, Cebes, 106. A table … the meaning whereof we could not possibly conjecture.
1856. Froude, Hist. Eng. (1858), I. ii. 169. The number of Protestants at this time it is difficult to conjecture.
1879. L. Campbell, Sophocles, I. Pref. 8. Αἰκάλλουσι for ἐκκαλοῦσι in O. T. 597 was conjectured independently by Musgrave and L. Dindorf.
1885. F. Temple, Relat. Relig. & Sc., v. 128. We can conjecture the direction in which further advances will be made.
c. with obj. and compl. infin.
1584. Fenner, Def. Ministers (1587), 74. I coniecture their meaning to be this.
1655. Fuller, Hist. Camb. (1840), 150. Let me conjecture him of Buckingham College.
1718. Lady M. W. Montague, Lett., II. xlix. 57. I conjecture them to be the remains of that city.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), I. 302. That I should conjecture to be the truth.
4. intr. To form a conjecture, make a guess, guess. Const. of (arch.), † at (obs.).
1587. Turberv., Trag. T. (1837), 135. Conjecture of her cares, imagine her distresse.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 304. If we may conjecture of these by what we finde related of others.
1646. R. Baillie, Anabaptisme (1647), 93. I cannot conjecture at the reason why.
1704. Swift, Batt. Bks. (Seager). The issue or events of this war are not so easy to conjecture at.
1832. Tennyson, Œnone, 248. As a mother Conjectures of the features of her child Ere it is born.
† 5. trans. To devise, contrive, invent; = CONJECT v. 3.
1551. Robinson, trans. More’s Utop., II. (Arb.), 120. They furthwith very wittely coniectured the thinge [paper-making].
Hence Conjectured ppl. a., Conjecturing vbl. sb. and ppl. a.
1382. Wyclif, Dan. ii. 5. Bot ȝe shuln shewe to me the sweuen, and the coniecturyng, or menyng therof.
1580. Hollyband, Treas. Fr. Tong., Devinement, coniecturing, soothsaying.
1581. Sidney, Apol. Poetrie (Arb.), 37. A coniectured likelihood.
1643. Milton, Divorce, II. xvi. (1851), 102. When all conjecturing is don.
1794. J. Hutton, Philos. Light, etc., 307. An opportunity of trying our conjectured theory.
