speculator
[spek-yuh-ley-ter]
- a person who is engaged in commercial or financial speculation.
- a person who makes advance purchases of tickets, as to games or theatrical performances, that are likely to be in demand, for resale later at a higher price.
- a person who is devoted to mental speculation.
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Origin of speculator
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for speculator
Contemporary Examples
Sorokko has no interest in trophies as such, and she is no speculator.
For bringing the home within the reach of a black purchaser, however, the speculator extracted a considerable price.
The new "new" thing was Chinese contemporary art and the speculator mentality that fueled the Western market.
Historical Examples
I no longer doubted the statement of Thompson and the speculator Smith.
Does not the vulgar estimate confound the philanthropist with the speculator?
Davenport Dunn, Volume 1 (of 2)Charles James Lever
He had never thought of him as a speculator in building land.
Tristram of BlentAnthony Hope
Wherever he could get his hands on a speculator or extortioner, he shook him up.
Stories Of GeorgiaJoel Chandler Harris
The speculator had brought her, but had postponed her removal till she should recover.
ClotelleWilliam Wells Brown
speculator
- a person who speculates
- NZ rugby an undirected kick of the ball
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for speculator
n.
1550s, from Latin speculator, agent noun from speculari (see speculation). The financial sense is from 1778.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper