▪ I. guessing, vbl. n.
(ˈgɛsɪŋ)
[f. guess v. + -ing1.]
The action of the vb. guess; an instance of this, a conjecture, prognostication. † without guessing: beyond estimation, incalculably.
| 1340 Ayenb. 268 More hy byeþ glede wyþ -oute gessynge of godes holynesse þanne of his oȝene and of alle oþre myd hym. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 59 William, þat hadde nouȝt i-seie þat Brittisshe book, wroot so..by his owne gessynge. c 1440 Promp. Parv. 190/2 Gessynge (K. or wenyn), estimacio. 1535 Coverdale Ezek. xiii. 22 Therfore shal ye spie out no more vanyte, nor prophecie youre owne gessinges. a 1643 W. Cartwright Birth Dk. York 31 The Forehead, Eye, and Lip, poor humble Parts, Too shallow for resemblance, show the Arts Of private guessings. 1692 Bentley Boyle Lect. vi. 182 Beyond the possibility of good guessing. a 1715 Burnet Own Time (1724) I. 18 Some..probable guessings which they delivered as prophecies. 1875 Jowett Plato (ed. 2) I. 263 A sort of guessing or divination which rests on no knowledge of causes. 1887 Athenæum 12 Nov. 632/3 We expect something more from an historian than happy guessing. |
b. attrib. and Comb. guessing game, a parlour game in which much of the playing consists of guessing; also transf.
| 1654 Whitlock Zootomia 548 All writ by Prophane, or Sacred Pen-men may be tearmed guessing Discoveries..in comparison of the Experiment of dying. 1711 C.M. Lett. to Curat 82 And upon this he imploys his Guessing Faculty. 1727 Boyer Dict. Angl.-Fr. s.v., Physick is but a guessing Science. 1889 W. C. Brownell French Traits iii. 98 The French intelligence seems to have almost no frivolous side. The different varieties of mental arithmetic, guessing-games, puzzles, puns, spiritualism, theosophy, fanaticisms, have no attractions for it. 1936 E. S. Gardner Case of Stuttering Bishop (1937) viii. 122 If you want to waste your time playing guessing games with me, that's your funeral. 1938 D. Kincaid Brit. Social Life in India ix. 254 After dinner..there would be guessing games and competitions. 1941 E. Bowen Look at all those Roses 125 Juvenile parties..when guessing games could be played. 1955 I. Fleming Moonraker xiv. 139, I can't spend all the morning playing guessing games. 1966 ‘R. Standish’ Widow Hack xiv. 153, I played a little guessing game in an effort to divine in advance what Madeleine's next move would be. 1969 I. & P. Opie Children's Games ii. 108 Popular at the beginning of the century, was the guessing game ‘Dead Men, Dark Scenery’. |
▪ II. guessing, ppl. a.
(ˈgɛsɪŋ)
[f. guess v. + -ing2.]
That guesses; that does things by guess-work. Hence ˈguessingly adv., in a guessing manner; by guess-work or conjecture.
| 1605 Shakes. Lear iii. vii. 47, I haue a Letter guessingly set downe. a 1668 Davenant Philosopher's Disquis. Wks. (1673) 326 A Guide..Who guessingly her progress doth begin. 1703 T. N. City & C. Purchaser 86 According to their way of Working by Guess..these Guessing Workmen too often guess wrong, and commit many Faults. 1827 G. S. Faber Orig. Expiatory Sacrifice 32 If piacular sacrifice anterior to the promulgation of the Law can be shown to have not originated from a guessing superstition. 1850 A. Gray Lett. (1893) 367, I dislike to take the time to study out laboriously and guessingly..these things which are mostly well known to botanists. |