surmise

noun

1. (countable, uncountable)Thought, imagination, or conjecture, which may be based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess.

   “surmises of jealousy or of envy”

   “This opinion, however, is merely a surmise, which may or may not be the case.”

   “But ſurely no Man whatſoever ought in Justice or good Manners to be charged with Principles he actually diſowns, unleſs his Practices do openly and without the leaſt Room for Doubt, contradict his Profeſſion: Not upon ſmall Surmiſes, or becauſe he has the Miſfortune to have Ill Men ſometimes agree with him in a few general Sentiments.”

   “The meeting had been devoid of incident. No word had been said to give me anything to think about, and any surmises I might make were unwarranted. I was intrigued.”

   “In short, the chances of the Princes Street terminal's survival seem unsure, though at the moment these views are no more than surmise.”

2. (countable, uncountable)Reflection; thought; posit.

   “My Thought, whoſe Murther yet is but fantaſticall, / Shakes ſo my ſingle ſtate of Man, / That Function is ſmother'd in ſurmiſe, / And nothing is, but what is not.”

   “Then felt I like some watcher of the skies / When a new planet swims into his ken; / Or like stout Cortez when with eagle eyes / He star'd at the Pacific—and all his men / Look'd at each other with a wild surmise— / Silent, upon a peak in Darien.”

verb

1. (intransitive)To imagine or suspect; to conjecture; to posit with contestable premises.

   “If, as I surmise, you see the ladies this evening, you might mention my intended visit.”