Also 6–7 -our. [a. f. speculātor, agent-noun f. speculārī to SPECULATE, or ad. F. spéculateur, = It. specul-, specolatore, Sp. and Pg. especulador.]
1. One who speculates on abstruse or uncertain matters; one who devotes himself to speculation or theoretical reasoning.
1555. Eden, Decades (Arb.), 367. The philosophers, speculatours of naturall thynges, saye that it is engendered of substaunce more watery then fyerie.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., III. xiii. 137. The Writers of Mineralls and naturall speculators, are of another beliefe.
1664. Power, Exp. Philos., III. 193. The old Dogmatists and Notional Speculators, that onely gaz’d at the visible effects and last Resultances of things.
1798. Malthus, Popul. (1878), 5. The most enthusiastic speculator cannot suppose a greater increase.
1855. Paley, Æschylus, Pref. (1861), p. xii. Pythagoras, one of the most deep-minded speculators of the ancient world, speaks in every page of Aeschylus.
1871. C. Davies, Metric Syst., III. 285. Some philosophical speculators have started doubts whether the metre is really the forty millionth part of the circumference of the earth.
b. Used as the title of periodicals.
1790. [N. Drake, etc.], The Speculator.
1801. The Speculator, containing essays on men and things.
2. A watchman, sentry or look-out.
1607. Topsell, Four-f. Beasts (1658), 406. It is reported by a certain Greek writer that, if their speculator do not give them the watch-word,… they tear him in pieces with their teeth.
1661. R. Burney, Κέρδ. Δῶρον, 104. I am the speculator and sentinel that chase away all evil with my eyes.
1663. Butler, Hud., I. i. 711. We … Like Speculators, should foresee From Pharos … Portended Mischiefs [etc.].
1725. Brooke, Observ., in Pope’s Odyss., XII. III. 215. All the boats had one speculator in common, to give notice when the fish approach’d.
1820. T. S. Hughes, Trav. Sicily, I. iv. 139. The speculator or man who descries the movements of the fish.
† 3. One who engages in occult observations or studies. Obs.
1652. Gaule, Magastrom., 9. Diviners, Speculators, Circulators, Prognosticators,… &c.
1658. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep. (ed. 4), VI. xiv. 416. The Hebrew letters in the heavens, made out of the greater and lesser Stars, which put together do make up words, wherein Cabalistical Speculators conceive they read the events of future things.
1691. Wood, Ath. Oxon., I. 244. Dee … appointed his Friend Kelley to be his Seer or Skryer or Speculator, that is to take notice what the Spirits did.
† 4. An observer, spectator. Obs.–1
1647. Nye, Gunnery, xviii. 95. As they wriggle to and fro, they will pull one another after them, to the speculatour a great deal of content.
5. A messenger sent to consult an oracle. rare–1.
1794. T. Taylor, Pausanias’ Descr. Greece, III. 149. They sent Speculators (theoroi) to Delphos.
6. One who engages in commercial or financial speculation.
1778. Hamilton, Wks. (1886), VII. 569. The speculators in the city have been bidding against the commissaries.
1786. T. Jefferson, Writ. (1859), I. 578. There are even speculators in America who will purchase it.
1827. Hone, Every-day Bk., II. 1476. He was a keen intriguing speculator, well versed in the mystery of the bulls and bears.
1848. Dickens, Dombey, vi. One or two bold speculators had projected streets.
1884. Fortn. Rev., March, 346. There are a class of speculators in the fag ends of leases.
