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surmise

 - 3 dictionary results

sur⋅mise

  [v. ser-mahyz; n. ser-mahyz, sur-mahyz] verb, -mised, -mis⋅ing, noun
Use surmise in a Sentence
–verb (used with object)
1. to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.
–verb (used without object)
2. to conjecture or guess.
–noun
3. a matter of conjecture.
4. an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.
5. a conjecture or opinion.
Origin:
1350–1400; ME surmisen < AF surmis(e), MF (ptp. of surmettre to accuse < L supermittere to throw upon), equiv. to sur- sur- 1 + mis (masc.), mise (fem.) < L missus, missa, equiv. to mit(tere) to send + -tus, -ta ptp. suffix

Related forms:
sur⋅mis⋅a⋅ble, adjective
sur⋅mised⋅ly  [ser-mahyzd-lee, -mahy-zid-] , adverb
sur⋅mis⋅er, noun

Synonyms:
1. imagine, suppose, suspect. See guess.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To surmise
sur·mise   (sər-mīz')   
v.   sur·mised, sur·mis·ing, sur·mis·es

v.   tr.
To infer (something) without sufficiently conclusive evidence.
v.   intr.
To make a guess or conjecture.
n.  An idea or opinion based on insufficiently conclusive evidence; a conjecture.

[Middle English surmisen, to accuse, from Old French surmise, feminine past participle of surmettre : sur-, sur- + mettre, to put (from Latin mittere).]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

surmise 
c.1400, "to charge, allege," from O.Fr. surmis, pp. of surmettre "to accuse," from sur- "upon" + mettre "put," from L. mittere "to send" (see mission). Meaning "to infer conjecturally" is recorded from 1700. The noun meaning "inference, guess" is first found in Eng. 1590; earlier it was a legal term meaning "formal allegation" (1451).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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