Emily Dickinson Lexicon

SPE'CIOUS, a. [Fr. specieux; It. specioso; Sp. especioso; L. speciosus.]

1. Showy; pleasing to the view. The rest, far greater part, / Will deem in outward rites and specious forms / Religion satisfied. – Milton.
2. Apparently right; superficially fair, just or correct; plausible; appearing well at first view; as, specious reasoning; a specious argument; a specious objection; specious deeds. Temptation is of greater danger, because it is covered with the specious names of good nature, good manners, nobleness of mind, &c.

SPE'CIOUS-LY, adv.

With a fair appearance; with show of right; as, to reason speciously.

SPE'CIOUS-NESS, n.

Plausible appearance; fair external show; as; the speciousness of an argument.

SPECK, n. [Sax. specca; D. spikkel. In Sp. peca is a freckle or spot raised in the skin by the sun. This word may be formed from peck, for peckled has been used for speckled, spotted as though pecked. Qu. Ar. بَقَعَ bakaa, to be spotted. Class Bg, No. 31.]

1. A spot; a stain; a small place in any thing that is die colored by foreign matter, or is of a color different from that of the main substance; as, a speck on paper or cloth.
2. A very small thing.

SPECK, v.t.

To spot; to stain in spots or drops.

SPECK'LE, n.

A little spot in any thing, of a different substance or color from that of the thing itself.

SPECK'LE, v.t.

To mark with small spots of a different color; used chiefly in the participle passive – which see.

SPECK'LED, pp. [or adj.]

Marked with specks; variegated with spots of a different color from the ground or surface of the object; as, the speckled breast of a bird; a speckled serpent. Speckled bird, a denomination given to a person of doubtful character or principles.

SPECK'LED-NESS, n.

The state of being speckled. – Ash.

SPECK'LING, ppr.

Marking with small spots.

SPEC'TA-CLE, n. [Fr. from L. spectaculum, from specto, to behold; specio, to see; It. spettacolo.]

1. A show; something exhibited to view; usually, some thing presented to view as extraordinary, or something that is beheld as unusual and worthy of special notice. Thus we call things exhibited for amusement, public spectacle: as the combats of gladiators in ancient Rome. We are made a spectacle to the world, and to angels, and men. – 1 Cor. iv.
2. Any thing seen; a sight. A drunkard is a shocking spectacle.
3. Spectacles, in the plural, glasses to assist the sight.
4. Figuratively, something that aids the intellectual sight. Shakspeare – needed not the spectacles of books to read nature. – Dryden.

SPEC'TA-CLED, a.

Furnished with spectacles. – Shak.

SPEC-TAC'U-LAR, a.

Pertaining to shows. – Hickes.

SPEC-TA'TION, n. [L. spectatio.]

Regard; respect. [Little used.] – Harvey.

SPEC-TA'TOR, n. [L. whence Fr. spectateur; It. spettatore.]

1. One that looks on; one that sees or beholds; a beholder as, the spectators of a show.
2. One personally present. The spectators were numerous.

SPEC-TA-TO'RI-AL, a.

Pertaining to the Spectator. – Addison.

SPEC-TA'TOR-SHIP, n.

1. The act of beholding. – Shak.
2. The office or quality of a spectator. – Addison.

SPEC-TA'TRESS, or SPEC-TA'TRIX, n. [L. spectatrix.]

A female beholder or looker on. – Rowe.

SPEC'TER, n. [Fr. spectre; from L. spectrum, from specto, to behold.]

1. An apparition; the appearance of a person who is dead, a ghost. The ghosts of traitors from the bridge descend, / With bold fanatic specters to rejoice. – Dryden.
2. Something made preternaturally visible.
3. In conchology, a species of Voluta, marked with reddish broad bands. – Cyc.

SPEC'TER-PEO-PLED, a.

Peopled with ghosts. – Bowring.

SPEC'TRUM, n. [L.]

A visible form; an image of something seen, continuing after the eyes are closed, covered or turned away. This is called an ocular spectrum. – Darwin.

SPEC'U-LAR, a. [L. specularis, from speculum, a mirror, from specio, to see.]

1. Having the qualities of a mirror or looking-glass; having a smooth reflecting surface; as, a specular metal; a specular surface. – Newton.
2. Assisting sight. [Improper and not used.] – Philips.
3. Affording view. – Milton.

SPEC'U-LATE, v.i. [L. speculor, to view, to contemplate, from specio, to see; Fr. speculer; It. speculare.]

1. To mediate; to contemplate; to consider a subject by turning it in the mind and viewing it in its different aspects and relations; as, to speculate on political events; to speculate on the probable results of a discovery. – Addison.
2. In commerce, to purchase land, goods, stock or other things, with the expectation of an advance in price, and of selling the articles with a profit by means of such advance; as, to speculate in coffee, or in sugar, or in six per cent stock, or in bank stock.

SPEC'U-LATE, v.t.

To consider attentively; as, to speculate the nature of a thing. [Not in use.] – Brown.

SPEC'U-LA-TING, ppr.

1. Meditating.
2. Purchasing with the expectation of an advance in price.